


No Promises

by NinaBeena



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Underswap, Angst?, Eventual Smut, Expirimentation on children-past, F/F, F/M, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Monsters, Multi, Nightmares, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Profanity, Pyrophobia, Scars, Slow Burn, Triggers, Tsunderes, Violence, basically the entire cast - Freeform, like wow I suck at romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2018-12-12 17:22:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 46
Words: 82,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11741715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NinaBeena/pseuds/NinaBeena
Summary: Eve Rhyden is a well-kept secret and is fiercely protective of her younger brother Kenji. The measures set in place to protect her have unfortunately caused her to be introverted and friendless, but she's had it drilled into her that her duty is more important than her own comfort. So how is it going to sit with her when monsters start popping up and try to butt into her locked up life?Well, you'll just have to find out.





	1. Meeting a skeleton or two...

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anything except the plot and my characters.
> 
> Sooo, am I late to the sin party that is this fandom? Cause I apologize.
> 
> Buuuut yeah, thought I'd try my hand at writing a fanfic? Idk I'm trying, so yeah, enjoy I guess?
> 
> Also I will be adding tags as I go cause I really suck at this.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve Rhyden is a well-kept secret and is fiercely protective of her younger brother Kenji. The measures set in place to protect her have unfortunately caused her to be introverted and friendless, but she's had it drilled into her that her duty is more important than her own comfort. So how is it going to sit with her when monsters start popping up and try to butt into her locked up life?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything except the plot and my characters.
> 
> Sooo, am I late to the sin party that is this fandom? Cause I apologize.
> 
> Buuuut yeah, thought I'd try my hand at writing a fanfic? Idk I'm trying, so yeah, enjoy I guess?
> 
> Also I will be adding tags as I go cause I really suck at this.
> 
> NOW FULLY EDITED!!! (9/1/2018)

_~Dream~_

_I was in agony. my veins burned from the things they kept pumping into me, stars exploded across my vision with every beat of my heart._

_Why? I'm so scared and it hurts so much, please, someone, help me._

_"Are you sure this is the best idea? For God's sake Daniel, she's only five!" I could hear the lady in the white lab coat yelling at the doctor. It scared me, they scared me, but I was so small, and this is my duty. I need to do this, or I'll end up like..._

**_Please, it hurts, make it stop!_ **

_"Calm yourself, Diane, you knew what was going to happen. She is the firstborn, just as you are. It's your duty to provide for the Family. I will not tolerate weakness from you or her, is that understood?"_

~~ **_It's our duty._ ** ~~

_The voice in my mind wasn't my own, it was his, but what would he know of duty, he wasn't a first-born, he would never know._

_They were silent for so long, maybe they left? Hope fluttered in my chest before the sound of flesh hitting flesh filled my tiny cell. It was followed by a sharp cry and the sound of something heavy hitting the floor._

_"I asked, Do. You. Understand?" Each word was punctuated with a thud and a cry._

_He was beating her, he was hurting her!_

_Something hot welled inside me, and I threw myself against the walls of the cell, clawing until my fingers bled, crying out wordlessly for him to stop, for her to be ok, for everything to just be ok._

_The wall I threw myself against moved, causing me to spill out onto the hard tiled floor. The fall was jarring, but the pain of the fall distracted me momentarily from the fire in my veins. Hands grabbed me, lifting me onto my feet._

_I could see her to my left, unconscious and bleeding, but still alive. The walls swayed around me and my knees buckled. Hands caught me once more, and I was hefted back into my cell._

_"Do not be a hero Eve, you are needed, so you will go unpunished, for now." He stood before me, a syringe full of something green shining in the harsh light of the facility._

_Dread and fear mingled as he brought the syringe to my arm. "No, please! Uncle NO!!"_

_~End Dream~_

I jerked awake, sticky with drying sweat and tangled in my sheets. Everything ached with the memory of the first experiments and my heart raced with fear.

"No, it's over, Kenji's safe, everything's better now, they're not here anymore..." I pulled my knees to my chest, trying to calm my breathing and slow my heart. I hadn't dreamt of that in so long, almost started hoping it had finally died.

I searched for something to distract me, finally settling on the still dark window across from my bed. Through it, I could see glimmers of the night sky, stars glimmering softly against the black velvet of the sky.

_If only I could reach them..._

The thought crept in unbidden, slicing deep and bringing tears to my eyes. I need to cut this whole emotional shit out, I'm fine, everything's fine...

_You lie to yourself too much..._

_And you talk too much_

I blink back the tears, forcing myself to my feet and to my closet. All I need is some fresh air, then maybe I could get a few more hours of rest before I had to work.

Grabbing some legging and a baggy sweater. I hesitate before grabbing another, larger, sweater and tying it around my waist, it could get chilly, even in the middle of summer, and I hated the cold.

**_You hate a lot of things..._ **

_I didn't ask you!_

I grab a small shoulder bag, tossing in a few water bottles and a couple suckers, before slipping on my running shoes and heading out of the house, keeping my hands hidden in my jean pockets.

I lived in a nice area, all small houses and loving families. It was also close to one of the few parks in the city. I slipped from the house and nodded to the ever watching cameras that were hidden around my house.

The houses around my own were dark, the air quiet and still, nothing hinted to what lay within those homes. My footsteps were the only sounds in the still night air, and the calm settled on me pleasantly.

Soft sniffling reached my ears and put me on alert.

I scowled, hurrying towards the darkened park and the sound of crying. Sitting at the entrance was a  monster. He had his head in his hands, the noises coming in small gasps as he tried to calm himself.

I slowed my approach, not wanting to frighten the poor guy, and carefully made my way to him. From what I could see, he was wearing a gray shirt with a blue ascot, and it looked like he was wearing gloves as well, but I didn't see any stripes.

_So not a child then?_

Now that I was closer I could see that he appeared to be a skeleton, though a bit more oddly shaped than any skeleton I'd ever seen, I could see a bit of his radius and ulna peeking from between his gloves and armor-like shirt.

"Hey there, do you need some help?" I squatted to his height, not wanting to appear as a threat. Something in me protested at helping a stranger, and I shoved it down. Never had a monster hurt us, so I would show this one kindness.

He was trembling slightly, and as he looked up I noted that his sockets were filled with glowing blue tears. "I-I Can't Find My Way H-home!" He cried, hiding his skull in his arms again.

_ Oh, so he's just lost, we can help with that at least. _

"It's gonna be alright, why don't you tell me where you live and I'll show you home? I know the city pretty well, I'm sure I can get you home in no time" As I spoke I dug through my bag and produced two suckers, one for me and one for him. I shook my sleeves until they covered my hands and offered him the candy.

He looked at me again, slight mistrust evident in his blue eyes. I didn't blame him, I'm sure there were plenty of humans who would take the chance to hurt him, but I wasn't going to ever be one of them. Seemingly coming to a decision, he took the offered sweet and stood up.

I smiled and stood, stretching my legs before looking to him for the address. He seemed to realize I was still waiting because his skull started to glow blue as he mumbled out a response. "We live in the new monster complex."

_Oh, Kenji had me help design those, asking me for tips on its security systems and layout._

"Are... do you like the new complex? Is there anything you might change?" I asked casually, twirling the sucker stick between my fingers idly.

I had tried my best in designing the apartments, and Kenji said they were all rather impressive, but it never hurt to have the opinion of the tenants themselves.

He perked up, eyes wide and sparkling. "THEY'RE GREAT! I GET MY OWN ROOM AND ALL OUR FRIENDS LIVE CLOSE BY. PLUS THE KITCHEN IS PERFECT FOR MAKING TACOS!"

I jerked back a step, not expecting him to be so loud. "Oh, well that's good, I'm glad you're so passionate about your new home." I gave the skeleton a smile, noticing that he stood a few inches taller than me.

**_Everyone's taller than you_ **

_FUCK YOU!_

"Oh, how rude of me, my name is Eve, what might yours be?" I turned toward him, offering my still covered hand.

He took it with both of his and shook it enthusiastically. "I AM THE MAGNIFICENT SANS! IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU HUMAN EVE." He dropped my hand and struck a pose, bandanna lightly fluttering behind him.

_He's so sweet, too sweet perhaps..._

"It's lovely to meet you, The Magnificent Sans, but how did you come to be lost?" I unwrapped my sucker, popping it in my mouth with a delighted hum. His eyes dimmed and he inspected the sweet in his hand.

"I... I was just trying to make new friends and these humans wanted to play hide and seek, and I AM THE BEST SEEKER!" Pride sparked in his eyes before his voice dropped again. "But I couldn't find them, and before I knew it, it was dark and everything looks so much different in the dark."

Anger spiked through me, who would dare hurt such a sweet guy? He just wanted to be friends! Humans should've been the ones locked up...

He rubbed a gloved hand over his arm and shivered lightly. I pulled the sweater from my waist, offering it without a word. He smiled and took it, flailing slightly as it settled over him. I'm glad I grabbed one of my bigger ones, otherwise, he'd have stretched it out.

"It's gonna be ok Sans, sure they were di- mean humans, but I'm sure you'll find good humans who will love to be your friends." I smiled up at him, noting that his skull was blue again.

_Maybe that was his version of a blush? That's pretty neat._

Before I could ask him about it there was a shout and a blur of orange. I jumped towards Sans, prepared to defend him if need be, but was met with the sight of a much larger skeleton hugging him. The new arrival wore cargo shorts, a bright orange hoody, and a pair of converses. He had his arms wrapped around Sans, nearly lifting the smaller skeleton off the ground.

"SANS! Where have you been? You said you would be back a few hours ago! Alphys wanted to tear apart the fucking city!" He straightened up, towering over his brother. An unlit cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth, and my fingers itched to yank it out.

"PAPY! I'M SO SORRY, I DIDNT MEAN TO WORRY EVERYONE. I WAS JUST LOST IS ALL! THE HUMAN EVE HELPED ME THOUGH." He gestured my way, and I was suddenly being scrutinized by the taller skeleton.

He cocked his head, staring intently at my chest. "Sans, why don't you go ahead of me, I'll catch up with you in a minute.." His tone was cold, and his eyes never left my chest.

"OF COURSE BROTHER, IT WAS NICE MEETING YOU HUMAN EVE, PERHAPS WE CAN MEET AGAIN!" He struck another pose and tore down the sidewalk and was gone before I could say anything.

I turned to leave when the skeleton, cleared his throat? Looking up I noticed his eyes were different from Sans. They looked like little white lights in the darkness of his sockets. They flickered from my chest to my eyes and then back.

"Yes?" I kept my tone gentle, even if I felt like calling him out on his creepy staring, not wanting to provoke the larger male, not really having the energy to fight or the desire to.

"What's it you want from my brother?" His voice was gruff and he stood taller, trying to be intimidating.

_I have trained with bigger men than you, so cut your shit and back the fuck off._

**_I think Clove could probably snap him in half_ **

_How tempting..._

I kept the thought to myself, it would only lead to an unnecessary confrontation. "I wanted to help him home, it seems he was tricked by a couple of nasty humans and they ditched him. I have no other intentions towards your brother." I pulled my bag off my shoulder, rummaging through it for another sucker and a water bottle.

I offered him the sucker and waited for him to take it. He studied the sweet like it might attack him, before slowly taking it. He studied me for another moment, seeming to come to a decision. "I don't trust ya kid." He slouched forward, tucking the sucker into his pocket and eyeing me warily.

I shook my head and slung my bag back over my shoulder. "It is unlikely I will meet you again, so there is very little to worry over." I spun on my heel and started making my way home.

"Wait." I looked over my shoulder at the confused skeleton. "He didn't ask you to be his friend?" His head was cocked to the side as he studied me again.

"No, besides, I have no desire to befriend him." The words sat bitterly on my tongue and I looked forward again. He didn't respond and I started walking, not sure why he seemed so confused. A crackle in the air made me stumble back before the skeleton was looming over me once more. His sockets were empty as he glared down at me.

"What? Monsters not good enough to be friends with you? What the hell is your deal kid?" He was angry, and the air around him crackled menacingly.

I kept my composure, I wouldn't let him see my anger, anger would only lead to an unnecessary confrontation and a strong lecture from Sugar. "I would decline because I really don't feel like putting in the effort it takes to protect them, so kindly fuck off and move, I have work in the morning." Pushing past him, my arm brushed his hoody and the feeling left goosebumps.

_I needed to get home and forget about all of this, maybe that bottle of scotch is still in the freezer..._

 

Papyrus's POV

 

_What the fuck. Was that a threat? Did she just fucking threaten us? No, she wasn't hostile, hell, she sounded bitter if anything._

"What the hell are you into kid?" The dark swallowed my words, but no answer was given back. Whatever, I didn't need this right now, I've got work to do and a brother who needs a story. But, what I saw, I don't think I'd ever seen it before. What in the hell was up with that kid's soul?

"Hope she doesn't bring us any trouble, or she's in for a bad time."

 


	2. More monsters?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> uh ya know... more monsters maybe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I already have a few chapters written out and everything and I'm going to put one up every tuesday maybe two depending whats going on. So thanks for reading!

Eve's POV

 

A shrill ringing pulled me from my sleep, insistent and grating. Muttering profanities, I throw my arm out in search of hellish noise. My hand makes contact with the corner of the table and I hiss as pain sparks across the back of it.

"For the love of daisies and the fucking stars, pleeeassse stoooop."

Mercy was not granted as the alarm continued to cry out. I did the only logical thing that came to mind; I rolled off the side of my bed hoping the fall would wake me enough to find the blasted phone.

Well, it was jarring, to say the least.

I blinked at the now quiet phone by my head and scowled as I felt bruises start to form on my shoulder and hip.

_Could be worse, get up and get moving._

I pushed myself to stand and went about making myself presentable for work. It wasn't anything special, just running a small flower shop, but it filled my days.

I pulled on a pair of baggy jeans, matching them with a plain black turtleneck, that may or may not have been stolen, sneakers, and a pair of soft leather gloves.

I pass through the living room and toss a few more suckers into the shoulder bag I'd used last night, feeling that I was missing something important. I pushed the feeling away and stepped outside to a vastly different world than several hours before.

The sun was peeking over the trees, casting its light over an already buzzing city. Nature sang sweetly to the rising sun as the buzz of vehicles and human conversations made their own sort of song. The dew burst with colors as it sat on jewel-toned grass, flowers gently opening up for the day. It was beautiful and distracting. I breathed in the cool morning air and sped up my pace, eager to reach the shop.

It was small compared to the fancier flower shops in the city and tended to be overlooked, but it served its purpose well; as a safe haven for The Family.

It was strategically placed near the center of the city in a well-populated area. On either side were office buildings and apartments. Any attacks on the minuscule business would lead to mass casualties and epic destruction, so no one dared attack for fear of catching the attention of the police, or worse.

A high, breathy voice pulled me from my thoughts. "Miss Eve! Hey! Miss Eve!"

I slowed to a stop and threw out a hand to catch the child before they could rocket past me. "Hello child, what have I said about running?"

She beamed up at me, waving her small fist in triumph. "I'm sorry Miss Eve, but I've got fifty cents today! That means I can get one of the really pretty flowers right?" Her smile could rival the rising sun, and I felt it pull at my Soul.

Glancing around I found myself a few feet from the shop; It was a simple red brick building, but it clashed with the dull gray and silver of the surrounding structures. Large bay windows sat on either side of the worn oak door, painted a soft white with window baskets overflowing with ivy. Past the windows were a rainbow of flowers of every possible shape.

"Hmmm, well you see," from the corner of my eye I could see her face fall a bit. "I have far too many flowers, so the really pretty ones are only a nickel today!" Her mouth flopped open as she stared at me with wide eyes.

I fished out my keys and unlocked the door, holding it open for the girl. She made a beeline for the Tulips, stepping carefully and sniffing the roses as she passed. "M-Miss Eve? Are you sure? Cause these seem like they cost a lot." Her forehead scrunched up and she puffed up her cheeks in thought.

"May, I am sure, we just have too many, and I wouldn't want them to go to waste. Why don't you pick some out while I open up the shop?" I nudged her softly as I passed, grabbing up my apron and pruning shears.

The first time May came in was rather amusing; I had just opened for the day and was doing a quick once-over of the shop when something tugged at the hem of my shirt. Confused, I had glanced down at this wide-eyed little cutie who was basically vibrating with nerves.

"H-h-hello? I, um, d-do you s-sell flowers?" Her eyes darted to mine and then flickered away, trying to look anywhere but at me. I knelt slowly and tried to smile at her. "Well, this IS a flower shop, what are you looking for child?"

Instead of answering she shoved her little hand forward, a shiny quarter glittered in her palm. "I-is there a-anything I c-can buy with t-this?" Her voice trembled and she looked near tears.

I couldn't help but stare at the quarter, and for a second I thought of telling the girl that nothing here cost so little. It wasn't like I knew the child, nor did I have to be kind, but something twisted in my chest at the thought of disappointing her.

"Of course child, I do believe I have some over here." I gestured towards the carnations, my smile softening as her eyes widened at the flowers. "Can, can I buy one?" She gently stroked a pale blue one, eyes bright and cheeks flushed.

_Always did have a soft spot for children._

"Well, since you are a new customer, how about I give you two for a quarter? Any two of these carnations, how about that?" She gasped and immediately pulled two of the carnations from the rest, a baby blue one and a fiery red and orange striped one.

"Are those the two you want?" I moved to the register and wrapping counter, pulling some paper to wrap the flowers in. She nodded wildly and held the flowers out for me to take. I wrapped them gently, tying the paper closed with a pink ribbon. "Now, that will be a quarter." I held my hand out for the coin, noting that her hand trembled slightly as she dropped it into my open palm.

"Here you go child, I do hope you'll come again." I softened my tone, offering a comforting smile as she gingerly took the wrapped flowers. For the first time, she smiled at me. It was shaky, and I could tell she was still nervous, but it was a smile.

"Thank you, Miss!" She squeaked as she left.

She came back the next day, and the next, and the next, and every day after that. She was there so often that I had to set a guard to watch her after she left, just to make certain nobody touched her.

"Miss Eve! Are you listening?" She waved her hand in my face again, snapping me back to the present. I noted the rainbow of tulips in her arms, smiling as I only counted seven. "Hmmm, did you miscount child?"

She blushed and tried her best to glare at me. "NO! I just thought ten was too many, so I only took seven." She humphed and handed me the flowers to wrap.

"Of course, and the payment?" Before I could finish she had plunked the coins onto the counter. "Feeling a little feisty aren't we?" I chuckled, handing over her flowers and scooping the coins into my hand.

"Just happy is all, I made a new friend! They only have a daddy too and they don't pick on me." Her tone softened as she spoke of them and I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for the lonely girl, followed by a sharp spike of anger.

**_Children have an amazing capacity for cruelty_ **

_I know..._

"Well, I hope they like the flowers." With that, she raced from the shop and off to wherever she went to school.

I jingled the quarters before tossing them into the register and shook off my gloves, only to take up my much thicker pruning gloves. I learned after the first twenty times that rose thorns hurt when they stabbed my hands.

That and Kenji tended to scold me for being careless.

I was finishing with the cabbage roses when the bell over the door jingled sweetly, announcing the presence of customers. "I'll be right with you," I called, tightening the gloves around my forearms and tucking my shears into the front pocket of my apron.

Standing in the doorway was a yellow dinosaur, wearing an outfit similar to my own, but the turtleneck was forgone in favor of a slimming black tank top. She surveyed the store slowly, and I noticed her left eye was covered by a black patch. She finally settled her eye on me, her smile was sharp and somewhat unnerving.

"Do you serve monsters?" She asked bluntly.

_Certainly not one to beat around the bush!_

_Fuck you that was awful_

"I serve everyone, it matters little what your species is." I gestured for her to come to the counter. "Now how may I help you today Miss?"

She stayed near the door, uncertainty warring with caution. "You sure you don't mind serving monsters? I know most others say it's bad for business." Her voice grates over the word others, bringing to mind that the other flower shops had turned her down.

I cocked my head and tried for a soft smile. "I don't see why I wouldn't, you are simply here to see my wares and it is an opportunity for me to make an income. It's incredible how humans can be so unaccepting of others." I pause to scrub a little dirt off the counter. "You're the same as any other who decides to enter my shop."

She studies for another moment before her face stretches into a toothy smile. "Damn punk, talking like you ain't even human. Ok, I'm here cause me and my girl are getting married and I need a florist to make centerpieces and the bouquets and-" I throw up a hand to cut her off and rifle under the counter for my big book of wedding crap.

"Alright, I'll need to know the date, the color scheme, and any preferences that you or the other bride may have. I do offer delivery and will be able to help set up any flower arrangements you may order." I push the book into her hands, noticing a commotion through the front windows. "If you will excuse me a moment."

I stripped off the apron and rushed outside, right into the middle of a fight.

A kid was pushed into my stomach and I grabbed their shoulders to steady myself before raising my eyes to the aggressors. "I have to _insist_ that you _desist_ from this violent behavior."

Three older boys stood in a semi-circle around me and the child in my arms, they sneered at us and I noticed a flash of silver in the hand of the tallest. "Oh yeah? Get the fuck outta here little girl, ain't got nothin' ta do with you." The armed boy's voice was pitched low, almost like he was trying to threaten me.

"Boy, I am your elder and I will be treated with respect. As you are in front of my place of business I would say that this is indeed of my concern." I forced my tone to stay light, but I pushed the child behind me, just in case.

His eye narrowed and he glanced towards the building before his face paled and he stumbled back a few steps. "Miss Eve! I am so sorry Miss! I didn't realize who I was speaking to. I was just- uh." He trails off as he tries to come up with an excuse for his actions.

"I will not have you acting this way Jimmy, what would your mother say if she knew you were roughing up someone smaller than you? Hmm?" I waggled my eyebrows and his face flamed red.

"Please, please, don't tell my mama, she'd have my hide." The two other boys nod along with him, their faces pale and fearful.

"I would like you to apologize to this child." I gestured to the half-hidden child. A sneer began to form on Jimmy's face once more and I snapped him a glare.

"I'm fucking sorry, ok? Come on guys, we gotta get to school." He gestured for the other two before breaking into a sprint and bolting past us.

I waited for them to turn the corner before turning to the roughed-up child. "I'm terribly sorry for them, they seem to have it in their heads that anyone smaller than them is fair game." The child's eyes were wide, showcasing a stunning pair of crimson irises. The color clashed with their green and yellow striped sweater, which now had a few spots of dirt, but complimented their pale complexion. A smudge of dirt marred their cheek and the right knee to their pants was torn and slightly bloody.

"Come into my shop, I'll get you a washcloth and band-aid, then you can be off." I gestured towards the door, waiting for their reply.

"I appreciate it Miss Eve, and my name is-"

"CHARA!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading?


	3. This is NOT a fun house

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here ya go.

Eves POV

 

A yellow streak flies from the shop and scoops up the unsuspecting child.

I snap to attention, jaw ticking as I ball my hands at my sides, but it seems the child knew the yellow dinosaur monster, and rather well at that.

"ALPHYS! Alphys you're crushing me! Humans need to BREATHE!" The breathless pleading ends in a squeal as the monster plops them back onto their feet. "Nice to see you too Alphys." They wheeze, rubbing at their sore ribs.

"Why ain't you in school kid? Asgore would throw a _FIT_ if he knew you weren't there yet. Where's Sans? Wasn't he supposed to walk you today?" Alphys, as Chara called the monster, whips out her phone with a scowl and proceeds to tap at it.

I steer Alphys and Chara back into the shop and to a bench near the register. I pat Chara softly and duck behind the counter for my med kit. Moving to kneel before the child, I study their pants carefully. Their right knee was scraped up, the pants were torn and slightly bloody, easily repaired if I had the time, but it seems we were a bit low on that.

"May I offer medical assistance?" I asked softly as I dug through the kit, pulling out the antiseptic wipes and bandages. When I received no answer I nudged their foot slightly. They startled from their daydreams and blinked at me confusedly. I gestured to their injured knee with the bandages and they nodded their head quickly.

I knew this was going to burn, so I tried to distract them. "You have a lovely eye color, certainly one of the most unique I've seen so far." As I spoke I gently cleaned the wound, grimacing as the child flinched. "I suppose the most interesting eyes I've ever seen was a girl I knew, she had stunning violet eyes with little flecks of gold around the pupil." Chara smiled softly as she listened and I tapped her knee to signal that I had finished dressing the wound.

"OH WOW! Alphys look! I didn't even feel it, and she says I have unique eyes!" They turn to pull at Alphys arm as I clean up the bloody wipes and pack everything back into the kit. The bell over the door chimed softly as I bend to place the kit back into its place.

"I will be there in a moment to assist you," I call, digging through another box that I kept varying spare clothes. Finally pulling a pair of jeans that look like they might fit the child I stand and look for the new arrival.

**_Ah, it's Mr. Skeleton, isn't that just lovely!_ **

"We meet once more," I sigh, tapping Chara on the shoulder and passing them the jeans. "If you would like to change there is a bathroom in the back and these seem as though they might fit you."

Their face lit up and they snatch the pants from my hand before racing off to the back. I watch them go for a moment before turning back to the two monsters. Alphys seems to have not noticed the presence of the other and the skeleton just stands there glaring holes through me.

"How may I assist you Mr. Skeleton?"

_Remain calm, he is a customer after all._

He glares at me for another moment before pulling a cigarette from his hoody pocket. Before he could bring it to his teeth I pluck it from his fingers, quickly replacing it with a sucker.

"Smoking is bad for the flowers, and tends to yellow one's teeth." I tsked, tossing the cigarette into a drawer behind the counter.

_If looks could kill I'm sure you'd be a pile of goo by now..._

**_Mmmm_ goo~**

_You worry me sometimes..._

"Heh, kid, not very nice taking things that ain't yours." He grumbles, turning his glare to the sucker in his hand. He opens his teeth to speak again but Alphys leaps from her seat, seeming to finally take notice of the rather large skeleton and starts jabbing him in the ribs.

"Where the fuck is Sans? He was supposed to walk Chara to school today and protect them from bullies! If it wasn't for that kid those punks could've done worse!" She growled and curled her claws into fists. The tension in the air was almost palpable, and I was worried I'd have to throw the pair out.

Until It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time started playing through the shop.

Alphys freezes and Mr. Skeleton slowly pulls the singing phone from his pocket. "Bro where-"

"BROTHER I NEED HELP!"

"Woah calm down bro, where ya at?"

"IT SAID IT WAS A FUN HOUSE!"

"Bro what are you-"

"THIS IS NOT FUN!" High-pitched giggles follow San's exclamation and I could finally make out what sounded like club music in the background. "NO, I DO NOT WANT YOU TO DANCE IN MY LAP! PAPYRUS HELP!"

The skeleton, Papyrus, stares at his phone in horror and Alphys looks like she's about to burst. With a snort, I snatch the phone from his hand and bring it to my ear.

"Ok, you gotta calm down. Go to the bar and ask for Cinnamon, tell him you'd like a rose on the rocks and he'll get you to your brother. Can you do that for me?"

"I CAN DO THAT! THANK YOU, KIND STRANGER!"

"No problem, see ya soon." I end the call and toss the now gaping skeleton his phone. "He should be here in ten minutes, twelve with traffic." I grab my apron from the floor and settle it over my head.

Chara comes prancing from the back room waving the torn pants around and giggling.

"Uncle Papyrus! Alphys! Look how cool these jeans are! they've got little flowers on the legs!" They strike a pose and giggle madly when alphys lifts them to her shoulders.

"Yeah, they do look pretty cute punk. C'mon, we gotta get you to school before you're too late." She turns to me with an apologetic grin. "Sorry 'bout wasting yer time, but if you don't mind I'd like to come back and look at that book you have."

I wave off her apology and slide the forgotten book back under the counter. "I don't mind at all, and I would be honored to help with your wedding." She offers another sharp smile before nearly bashing through the door and tears down the street with a laughing child on her shoulders.

"I don't get you, kid." He slouches against one of the display fridges and watches as I move to continue pruning the other roses. "You helped my brother home, then gave me the cold shoulder and saying how you don't need no friends, but here you are wanting to help Alphys with her wedding and patching up Chara like you've known them forever. What is your issue?"

_I do NOT have issues!_

**_I think you're lying~_ **

_I have to agree with them..._

I slam the shears into the counter and glare as they scratch the damn near pristine surface. "That is none of your damn business! I do what I will, and questioning my reasons will get you nowhere." I transfer my glare to him and he tries to match it. "If you want to keep fucking snooping then go right on ahead, but nosey bastards tend to go missing."

He grinds his teeth and stands to his full height, nearly knocking his head on the ceiling. "Is that a fucking threat?" He growls, his eye sockets dark and menacing.

I stand my ground and continue glaring. "Not from me, but I can only protect so many before there are too many." I spit, almost relishing in the way his face flashes with confusion. "Now get out of my shop, your brother will be here any second." As if on cue a sleek black car stops at the curb and a blur of blue flies into the store and tackles the orange-clad skeleton.

"PAPYRUS THERE WAS WOMEN OF ILL REPUTE AND MEN WEARING VERY LITTLE AND IT. WAS. NOT. A. FUN. HOUSE." Sans face was blazing blue as he clung to his brother's hoody.

_Hey! Cinnamon runs a very classy strip club!_

_There's so much wrong with that sentence..._

"Hello again Sans, did Cinnamon treat you well?" I dug through my apron and pulled out another sucker for the smaller skeleton.

I offer it to him with a small smile and a quick glare to his brother. He nods vigorously and pops the sweet into his mouth. "Good, now I must get back to business, it was lovely seeing you two again." I didn't miss Papyrus's snort as he led his brother from the store.

I watched them as they headed wherever they had to go, Sans gesticulating frantically and Papyrus smiling and nodding along with the enthusiastic skeleton.

_Would it be worth it?_

Shaking away the ridiculous thought I turned back to the roses, no longer eager to get on with my job.

_No, it's not worth the risk..._

I grunt in annoyance and shove the shears back into my apron. Not even nine yet and I'll have to ruin someone's day. I pull my phone out and dial up one of the family.

"Hello Mrs. Valentina, I need to speak to you on behalf of your son-"

  
Papyrus's POV

Stars that woman was fucking crazy. One second she's sweet as can be, the next she's a snarling beast, and what the hell was she talking about? Who is she protecting? Why does she have to protect others?

_Who is trying to hurt her? She's a fucking florist for stars sake!_

"BROTHER! YOU WERE NOT LISTENING! DON'T YOU HAVE WORK? YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE AGAIN!" Sans snaps me back to reality and I shift into a lazy smile.

"Yeah bro, working with that scientist who helped with building our new home, says he wants to try to integrate magic with their tech. Hey bro, want to know what I ate for breakfast?"

"WAS IT MY MAGNIFICENT TACOS?"

"Nope, it was a clock."

"WHY WOULD YOU EAT A CLOCK?"

"Dunno, but it sure was _time-consuming_!"

"WHYYYY?"


	4. Sugar, spice, and things not so nice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! I'm actually on time -w- 
> 
> So here you go!

Eve's POV

 

I scowled as I wrapped yellow, purple, and orange roses in neon green paper with a red bow. It was by far the ugliest thing I've ever made and certainly the most confusing. I almost felt bad for the poor bastard who would be receiving them.

The bell chimed softly and I softened my face into a smile, not wanting to frighten away a customer.

**_Again~_ **

_Will you fuck off about that already?!_

A small black woman carrying a mammoth purse stared at me for a moment before bursting into giggles "That smile looks as fake as a hookers tits!"

I dropped the smile and went back to scowling at the atrocious flower arrangement before me. "Which hookers have you been fondling Sugar? Cause it seems like you may know a hooker with fake tits." I tug the bow into place and turn my attention to the woman.

I settle my arms on the counter, using them as a cushion, and raise an eyebrow. "Fancy seeing you here Sugar, seeing as you didn't alert me of the visit I assume it's for pleasure?" She prowled around the shop as I spoke, checking corners and peering into shadows.

She chuckled softly and made her way back to me. "Let's not make an ass of you and me baby girl, I'm here to ensure you and that brother of yours living." She thumped the bag onto the counter before rifling through it. "I know you, and I know him. You've more than likely forgotten to eat, or, refused to. Kenji has probably been up for at least two days straight, thriving on energy drinks and protein bars." She gave me a look that dared me to contradict her.

I rolled my shoulders in a shrug and continued watching her. "Didn't sleep well, completely slipped my mind to eat." I shifted the sucker in my mouth, idly wondering when I'd put it there.

She pulled a smaller satchel from the bag, nudging me to take it. "Got all your favorites in there; cheddar biscuits, chicken salad, a few blueberry tarts, and a thermos of Earl Grey with a twist." She beamed with pride as she listed the food off, nudging me to take the bag once more.

I straighten with a sigh, reluctantly taking the bag. "I hope you're going to stay and watch the shop, I don't plan on closing early," I murmur, no longer focused on her.

Across the street were three men, trying to appear casual as they watched the shop.

Their clothing was dark and baggy, good for movement and hiding any, unsavory, stains. From here it was unclear if they were armed, and the clothing hid any personal body armor as well. My gaze traveled back to Sugar as she set down a small wooden bat and a pair of black leather gloves.

Her smile was innocent as her eyes traveled to the idling men. "Ya know my daughter, Mace, said I just missed your birthday, so I thought; what would any innocent, calm, peace-loving girl want? And then it hit me, a mini bat and a pair of sturdy leather gloves! Perfect for any outfit really, and the leather is stained and treated so it'll keep that lovely ebony color. The bat is good for beating away all those unwanted suitors." She gave me a saucy wink before continuing. "Speaking of which, my grandson Pepper just graduated college with a degree in-"

I cut her off with a glare, eyes burning and face blank. "No, it was lovely seeing you again, Sugar, but it seems I have lunch plans and a... 'business' meeting I must attend. I trust you to close this evening and send Cinnamon my thanks, Mace knows my birthday isn't for a few more months."

_I think she meant m-_

_I know who she meant..._

I whipped my bag from under the counter and shoved it into the bigger satchel. I tugged the gloves on, marveling at the perfection of the fit, as well as the steel plates along the knuckles, and slid the bat into the bag.

Sugar caught my arm before I made it to the door. Her amber eyes bored into mine and her face had gone soft. "Do what you need to baby girl, and know we'll still be here." I scoffed and my lips twisted into a sardonic smile.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." I didn't stay long enough to see the hurt in her eyes.

_Why does it always come to this?_

 

  
Third Person POV

 

Eve hurried from the shop, tucking her face into the collar of her sweater. The three men immediately followed, thrilled at the chance to finally take action against the Rhyden family, starting with this little doll.

Only Eve was aware that the cameras all along the street turned to keep the four in their sights. They were comforting in their invisibility.

She continued for two blocks, steering clear of any alleyway and staying in sight of cameras. The men behind her were growing restless, hissing to each other and staying just out of earshot of Eve.

Looming over all of them, 50 stories in all, stood the Rhyden building. Before Eve hit the street it sat on she veered to the left, and headed down an alley.

The men grinned to one another and booked it after her, not noticing the eyes that followed them into the alley, nor the men that positioned themselves at the opening of it.

 

Eve's POV

 

Whoever they were, they were shit at concealing their presence. They kept fucking bickering and they carried on like a pack of boars. They wouldn't survive too long in service for the Barsotti.

My jaw ticked in annoyance.

I slipped the bag behind some boxes and continued down the alley, stepping over trash and avoiding the stagnant puddles. It ended in a circular courtyard of sorts. Brick walls rose around me, the perimeter littered with trash and broken stone benches.

They stood at the only exit, the smaller of the three staying in the alley itself as the two larger males stepped forward with an almost childlike glee.

I feigned surprise, widening my eyes and curling into myself slightly. "O-oh, hello? Can I he-help you?" I forced the stutter and raised the pitch of my voice. I needed them to see me as an easy target, and it seemed to be working on the bigger guys.

Big Guy #1 took the initiative and stepped forward with a bigger grin. "Well hello there little doll, we just- uh, we just wanna talk ta ya! Yeah, we just have a few questions about yer boss, Kenji Rhyden." His grin faltered at the name, and it took more will than I thought to not snap at him to fuck off.

**_Innocent, small, easy prey. C'mon you've done it plenty of times before._ **

I flipped my palms up and tilted my head, baring my throat in a sign of submission. "I d-don't know much, I just work in the flower shop! M-maybe you should ask h-his secretary?" I offered a shaky smile and noticed his smile had vanished.

"Tch, if ya ain't got any info for us, I guess you ain't got any use in breathing either!" He lunged and, for a moment, I felt a twinge of hesitation.

_Shit_

The flash of steel made me move, I ducked under the swing aimed for my throat, rolling and sending my foot into the back of his knee.

CRACK!

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!"

_Too much force_

I rolled as Big Guy #2 went to stomp on my head, aiming another kick at Big guy #1.

_Big mistake_

He wised up and grabbed it before whipping me across the courtyard and into the corner of a bench.

CRACK!

Me this time, I choked on a scream as my side exploded in white-hot pain.

**_You've fought through worse, get up, make them pay!_ **

Pushing down the pain, I stand, barely noting the fist flying at my face.

My hand came up and...

SNAP!

BG #2 fell back with a scream, cradling his now broken wrist to his chest and eyeing me venomously. I brought my hands together and cracked my knuckles, the sound almost sickening in the sudden quiet.

"This little doll, well, she's made for fighting."

They rushed me at the same time.

The biggest one had a knife and a new limp, while the other still nursed his broken wrist.

~~_This is too easy_ ~~

I feinted towards the knife wielder, who flinched back, before turning and catching the other across the jaw with the brand new bat I'd slipped up my sleeve while they'd been bickering two streets back.

They thought I was some helpless little bitch, well they'd fucking learn now, won't they?

The hit pulled at my broken rib and I stumbled, leaving me open for the other.

_Damn, I liked this sweater_

Fire raced over my shoulder as his blade ripped through the thin fabric and tore into the flesh below.

"Gonna pay for this you bitch!"

I slipped the bat into the other hand and swung up, landing a blow to his stomach. He bent double and the knife clattered to the pavement.

~~_Kill him_ ~~

_~~Bash his head in~~ _

_~~E N D H I M~~ _

**_NO_ **

I cracked him upside the head, watching with mild satisfaction as he fell beside his friend.

_Where's the third?_

A shadow fell over me and the third man was dropped next to his friends. "Caught 'im trying to run Miss Eve, thought you'd like us to keep watch."

I nodded a silent thank you to Clove and nudged the biggest in the ribs. "The usual, if you will. I don't think they have much to offer us, pretty shoddy fighting skills." With another nod, Clove hoisted the three men over his shoulders and left me in the courtyard.

The bat was still in my hand, little flecks of blood visible on the polished wood.

_I almost..._

Acid rose in my throat and I threw the offending item away from me, shattering it against the opposite wall.

_Too much force, I could have..._

I shut the thought down and spun on my heel, no longer eager to be here. I felt the shadows watching me as my sins crawled up my back.

_I wanted to kill them, it would've been so easy to..._

_You don't have to, you've changed._

_Have I?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really sure if I did well on the fighting scene but eh, Hope ya enjoyed!


	5. Damn peonies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I am way ahead on writing chapters, so I'm gonna give ya this one super early.
> 
> *New note, my editor says I should put a warning here, sooo...
> 
> Mention of past injury, evidence of past injuries, trauma

Eve's POV

 

The stairs were a bitch, as usual, even more so with my rib sending flashes of agony with every breath. It was the safest way and the least public to reach the top floor but fuck did I just want to take the private elevator.

I'm going to have to get maintenance to get the blood off the walls...

**_I think you're starting to really piss off Maurice_ **

As I reach the floor I finally caught onto whatever it was that Kenji had been shouting.

"...PROMISE IT WON'T HURT ME!" Came Kenji's exasperated shout through the thick metal door.

_No, nuh-uh, this had bad idea written all over it._

I slammed my good shoulder into the door and pushed. The door screeched open and startled the scientists, which led to a blue scaled fish lady to throw whatever she had been holding at an unsuspecting Kenji.

I launched myself into his middle with a cry, pushing him to the ground as the stapler flew where his head would have been. I was up immediately, baring my teeth at the woman and keeping myself between them.

"Yo Undyne I got you that..." Papyrus stepped into the room through thin air and caught sight of me snarling at the now cowering fish woman, his words halting as he sent me a glare.

Kenji slid his hand in one of mine, tugging it twice, before stepping around me to face the others.

Just remember Kenji, if I start scaring you or you're scared just take my hand, I'll always protect you, even if it's from myself...

I stood slowly and let my gaze trail after Kenji. 

_I hadn't meant to scare him, I need to control myself better..._

_It's been a shit day, you didn't mean to_

Papyrus was watching me with open hostility and for a moment I could've sworn I saw a flicker of orange in his right socket before he blinked.

"Sorry 'bout that Undyne, she can get really protective of me when she feels I'm being threatened." Kenji waved off the whole thing, turning his smile to me. His eyes flickered with pain and his smile became strained when he caught sight of my shoulder.

"Bad business deal?" He asked lightly, pushing a rolling chair to me and rummaging for the med kit he kept stocked for these instances. He ignored the questioning gazes of the two monsters as I sat with my chest to the backrest.

He pulled another chair up and took a seat while fishing out the needed supplies; scissors, rubbing alcohol, needle, thread, and gauze wrap. "Hope you didn't like this sweater too much," he mumbled quietly as he proceeded to cut it off me.

Papyrus cleared his throat as Undyne started turning an interesting shade of purple. "Ok, um, not sure what's going on here boss, but shouldn't she go to a hospital? I'm pretty sure that blood is supposed ta stay inside and that bruise looks pretty concerning."

Kenji didn't reply as he cleaned out my shoulder and tossed the dirtied tissues to the side. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over the back of the seat with some difficulty. "I have had worse." The only explanation I could really give at the moment, only willing one anyways.

"Sis, stop doing that," Kenji grumbled distractedly.

I glanced at him over my shoulder before hissing as the light glinted off the needle. "Hmmm?"

He muttered an apology before the sharp pinch of the needle made me flinch. "That whole polite customer greeter shit, you know it's really fucking creepy when you talk like that, almost like-"

"Don't."

He sighed at my cold tone and continued on stitching up my shoulder. I looked back to the two gaping monsters with a raised brow. Undyne squeaked something about needing the restroom before fleeing while Papyrus continued to stare at us.

"Is... Is this just a normal situation for you two? What? The flowers _potting_ against you or something?"

_ Was... Was that a pun? _

Kenji's snickers confirmed it and I sighed in disgust. "If you must know, yes, the peonies are jealous of my love for daisies and have gotten the roses on their side. The tulips remain undecided and the rest like to watch the drama unfold." Kenji's snickers devolved into full-blown laughter as he finished stitching up my shoulder and started wrapping it in gauze.

"Really now sis, I thought you'd come to an agreement with the peonies, or were you just _pollen_ my leg?" He barely has time to secure the gauze before I'm out of my seat and heading for the exit.

"SIS! Wait! you can't _leaf_ without a shirt!" The skeleton was bent with laughter and Kenji was beaming with pride.

"I am dressed enough to leave, and I will if you insist on continuing with your puns." I kept my tone and face blank, knowing it unnerved him.

He huffed and pouted as he cleaned up the bloody tissues and packed everything back into the kit. "Fine, fine, at least I got one of you to laugh." He turned to address the suddenly quiet monster while waving to a couple of computers. "Will you get the scanner set up? I need to get a look at her side."

I turned away from the two and picked up the shredded remains of my sweater, feeling eyes on my back.

 

Papyrus's POV

 

"Yo Undyne I got that..."

_What the hell?_

The flower girl looked feral as she crouched in front of Kenji. Her gaze trained on Undyne with her lips peeled back over her teeth in a snarl.

Magic crackled along my bones and I readied myself for her impending attack, but Kenji acted first. He grabbed her hand, squeezing it, and she immediately dropped her stance and let her eyes trail after him instead. "Sorry 'bout that Undyne, she can get really protective of me when she feels I'm being threatened."

The kid just waved it off like it was completely normal.

_Something's going on here._

I watched as his smile turned strained and he said something about a bad business deal before pushing a chair to her and digging through his desk.

I raised my brow at him in question as he pulled a first aid kit from a drawer, before grabbing another rolling chair to set behind Eve. The smell hit me as he was pulling out medical supplies.

_Blood_

He cut away her sweater, revealing a gash along her shoulder and an inky purple bruise blooming across her ribs. Undyne was blushing furiously and I cleared my throat and tried to look anywhere else.

"Ok, um, not sure what's going on here kid, but shouldn't she go to a hospital? I'm pretty sure that blood is supposed to stay inside and that bruise looks pretty concerning." My gaze darted back to Kenji as he cleaned up the still bleeding wound.

_That happened recently, or it would've clotted by now._

Eve rolled her eyes at Kenji's silence, slowly folding her arms over the back of her chair and causing me to wince in sympathy. "I have had worse." Her speech was overly formal, if not a tad cold and clipped.

Kenji flinched as she spoke. "Sis, stop doing that," he grumbled, threading the needle carefully and grimacing.

She rolled her head back to look at him before jerking it back with a hiss as the lights caught the needle.

_She doesn't like needles... huh_

She flinched as he began sewing the wound closed. "That whole polite customer greeter shit, you know it's really fucking creepy when you talk like that, almost like-"

"Don't"

Her words held no room for argument and Undyne flinched at the coldness it held. Eve's eyes locked onto us and Undyne squeaked out an excuse before taking off. My fingers twitched uneasily and I craved a cigarette.

_Damn her, what the hell is up with this chick? I need to cut the silence..._

"Is... Is this just a normal situation for you two? What? The flowers _potting_ against you or something?" Smooth.

Her face became blank and Kenji's shoulders shook with restrained laughter. She sighed with disgust and glared at the floor. "If you must know, yes, the peonies are jealous of my love for daisies and have gotten the roses on their side. The tulips remain undecided and the rest like to watch the drama unfold."

Kenji lost it and I tried to find any hint that she was joking.

And then Kenji started in with the puns.

I was doubled over laughing, orange tears threatening to fall at the corners of my sockets and ribs hurting with the pressure. Damn, working with this kid is gonna be better than I thought.

Eve said something about leaving and I slowly straightened and wiped at the tears. The laughter died in my throat as I finally looked at her, really looked at her.

_She was covered in scars_

They crisscrossed over her stomach and ribs, trailing down her spine and marking her slim hips. Small circular scars were littered down her arms and a larger one sat on her collarbone.

Not to mention the bruises that covered her ribs and the faint green and yellow of fading bruises that were littered across her torso and arms.

There even seemed to be a word carved into her collarbone, trailing across her chest until it disappeared into her binder.

_What. The. **Fuck?!**_

Kenji motioned for me to set up the scanner and I moved to do so, watching as she cleaned up the remnants of her sweater.

_What the hell is going on here? This ain't fucking normal, or, it really shouldn't be._

I grumbled about needing a fucking smoke and clicked my teeth, moving to set up the scanner.

_Fucking humans..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any advice on my writing?
> 
> Hope ya enjoyed!


	6. Scars run deep.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bones man, bones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My awesome editor said I needed to post this early so I can focus more on my adult life and responsibilities... or something like that.
> 
> Ok, some warnings for this chapter.
> 
> Evidence of extreme trauma and injury, slight mention of pyrophobia, threat of murder.

Eve's POV

 

He wouldn't stop watching me. No matter where I stood in the lab I felt his gaze on my back. Kenji was as oblivious as ever and I frowned at his lack of observation. I turned to glare at Papyrus, noting with some irritation he seemed to be absorbed in setting up the scanner.

**_Sneaky bastard_ **

_I actually think he's-_

_I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT!_

I kept an eye on him as I trailed my way to Kenji who was inching his way towards the incinerator, clutching onto the tissues used to clean my shoulder. "I've got this, why don't you go help with setting up the scanner?"

I felt the warmth of the incinerator at my back as I gently pried the soiled tissues from his frozen hands and nudged him back to the rest of the lab.

He wouldn't meet my gaze as he jerkily nodded and bolted to Papyrus, nearly slamming into the taller skeleton in his hurry.

I shake my head and turn towards the hulking machine.

It had originally been Sugar's idea to have it installed, given the many times I've had to be patched up and nowhere to hide the evidence. It had taken nearly a year, several incidents, and a promise that Kenji would never have to touch it.

That promise had only ever been broken once.

_Fucking promises..._

It was almost monstrous in size, standing seven feet tall with metal tubing sprouting from it like limbs. It was built specifically for the lab, and in all honesty, for my own use.

I ran my hand almost lovingly along the warm metal of its front and pressed the blue button that forced it to cool enough to open. The locking mechanism on the door clicked and it slid upwards revealing the flickering red flames that hid within it.

I tossed in the tissues and remnants of my sweater, smirking with satisfaction as the flames gobbled them up. Fire had always been beautiful for me, despite...

The way the flames danced to some unheard music, wavering and rising before fading. The whispers and crackling of a fireplace, the roaring, and cries of a wild inferno. The way it painted everything in shades of orange and red, _red_ , _~~r e d...~~_

Boney fingers wrapped around my uninjured shoulder and I flinched away from the incinerator. "Scanners up and running, Kenji told me to come grab ya." Papyrus's smooth voice brought me back to the lab before he blipped back over to the scanner screens.

I pressed the blue button again to shut the door, watching as the door slid shut and hid away the flames once more.

  
Third Person POV

 

She prowled around the room and glared at the shadows, posture defensive and stride smooth. Kenji had muttered something about cleaning up before inching away and approaching the incinerator at the end of the room.

Papyrus continued to catalog the scars in his mind, gritting his teeth and itching for a cigarette. He'd never seen someone with so many before, not even Alphys, who prided herself on her battle scars.

His eyes focused back on the screens in front of him with false enthusiasm, shivering as he felt her burning gaze land on him once more.

_Damn, almost got caught._

She continued her glaring before Kenji seemingly drew her attention. He was inching towards the incinerator and had gone rather pale. Papyrus flicked his eye-lights back to Eve as her face shifted into a softer expression.

Kenji had certainly been a surprise, to say the least. The kid turned up on the mountain three days after the government showed up and quarantined us, full of bouncing curiosity and endless excitement. He started spouting orders to the guards, who immediately fell all over themselves to please him.

Set him on edge right away...

He carried around two briefcases stuffed with papers and a small army of lawyers and assistants that he assured would be beneficial for the integration of monsters into normal society.

Papyrus never let him out of his sight.

His eyes darted around and took everything in with an almost childlike enthusiasm that clashed with his nearly pristine lab coat and expensive clothing.

_Fucking unnerving,_

_Why can't I see..._

"He,hey Papyrus? Can you run, run the scan for me? I've just got to, ummm, grab my coat? YEAH! It's really cold and umm, I'll be ba-back..." Kenji's voice yanks him to the present and he barely had time to look at him before Kenji was sprinting out the door.

"What?"

His question hung in the air, and he slowly turned his eye-lights back to the monitors. Everything was up and running, all that was needed was Eve.

She stood stock still in front of the open incinerator, staring into the flickering flames with an almost calm detachment. The flames reflected in her eyes and painted the scars across her front into a greater relief, and, for a moment, he felt a tingle of fear slither down his spine.

She looked like a goddess of war, bathed in the blood of her enemies.

He didn't register when he had teleported, but he was suddenly there with a hand on her unbandaged shoulder. She jumped and something like fear flashed in her eyes before it was back to the ever-present glare.

"Scanners up and running, Kenji told me to come grab ya." He fled back to the monitors and refused to look at her. The way she had startled gave him only a small amount of comfort, and for the first time, he wished Undyne would come back so he wouldn't have to be alone with her.

Eve crossed the room and positioned herself under the cameras and scanners with a bored expression, her eyes flicking to the exit every few seconds. "Let us get this over with, I have business to conduct and meetings to attend." Her tone remained cold, but something like worry crept into her eyes as she continued casting glances towards the exit.

"Whatever." He muttered around a cigarette that found itself between his teeth.

The only sound was the random whirring and bubblings of experiments, that and a slow steady thrumming that Papyrus couldn't place as anything he'd heard before.

The quiet between them unnerved him.

"Sooo, this happen often?" Simple, nothing too prying, easy to answer.

Eve studied the fidgeting skeleton as the cameras peered past her skin and muscles and to the very base of her. "I don't think you need to know. It will not affect how you conduct your business with my brother or with others, nor do I feel I need to explain myself." A small ding alerted them that the scans had finished and Eve was quick to look them over.

"Three cracks...nothing shifted...maybe need some ice..." She muttered to herself as Papyrus moved away from her sudden close proximity, that is until he caught sight of the screen.

  
Papyrus's POV

As I moved away I caught a glimpse of the scans on the screen, and I was rooted to the spot. Her ribs were marked with scratches and spiderwebbed with cracks new and old. Her right clavicle seemed to have been completely shattered at some point and then improperly healed. Her right mandible even had what seemed to be a metal plate and screws in place.

_Stars, this is..._

"If you wouldn't mind closing up the lab for the night, I believe Kenji will be taking the evening for himself, and I advise you to do so as well." She swiped a hand across the screen and the image disappeared, a little icon appeared informing it had been destroyed.

She turned away from the screens and made her way to the exit. "My brother is far more trusting than I Mr. Skeleton, so you would do well to never betray us," the smile she threw over her shoulder sent a chill down my spine, "because while he may forgive you, I will turn everything you love to ash and dust."

And she was gone.

My knees buckled and I crumpled to the floor, cigarette snapped in half and forgotten. _What the fuck. What the fuck. **What. The. Fuck.**_

The soft squeak of shoes had me snapping to attention and my magic blazed to life sending bones up through the tiles and towards the threat.

Undyne's eyes widened and she shrieked something unintelligible before dropping into a crouch, the papers she'd been carrying scattering across the floor.

"Fucking shit Dyne, hey hey, look at me, fuck." I pushed my magic away and forced myself up, grimacing at how unsteady my legs were. With a sigh, I started gathering the papers and making my way to the still cowering Undyne. "C'mon bud, I didn't mean to scare ya, just caught me by surprise is all."

I settle the papers on a nearby table and crouch next to her. "I _shore_ am sorry, didn't mean to scare the _carp_ outta ya. Why don't we get outta here and go to Muffet's, I _trout_ you can say no to an offer like that."

By the end, she was giggling softly and looking a little less pale. "T-those are awful P-p-papyrus, and yes, Muffet's sounds amazing, I still haven't eat-ten, but will Kenji be fine with it?"

I shrugged and tossed the lab coat over the chair Eve had earlier occupied. "Think the boss is taking the afternoon off, if the way he ran off was any indication." I offered my hand and she took it gratefully. "G-got any idea what freaked him out so b-bad?"

Darkness, the rushing of cold stale air, and then the glowing front of Muffet's bar. I shrugged and pushed past her into the welcoming glow of Muffet's, forcing my face into a lazy grin.

_This was my space, nothing bad here._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoped you like it, might post another one Friday for fun.


	7. I'm sorry...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok, some warnings.
> 
> A slight episode of PTSD, dissociation, mentions of torture

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate adulting...

Eve's POV

 

I slipped from the lab with a sense of satisfaction. I could feel he understood my threat perfectly, and he didn't seem to underestimate me.

_Good_

_The self-satisfaction you're feeling is a little unsettling..._

The stairwell was only used by a select few and only led to the lab itself, that is unless you knew about the door halfway down the first flight of stairs.

It was nearly impossible to spot the outline of it from the surrounding walls and even had the guardrail attached to it. It was made by the Spyce family for Kenji and I specifically so that we didn't have to stay on the family estate.

_Never again..._

My fingers slowly trailed over the handrail and with a sharp twist, the handrail and a small portion of the wall swung open soundlessly. Beyond the secret door was a small room lined with coats and a pile of shoes next to another door.

I glanced at the lab door before quickly entering and pushing the wall back. I toe off my boots and set them next to the shoe pile and continue into the rest of the floor.

In all actuality, it was both the 48th and the 49th floor. When you left the foyer it led to another set of stairs set into about the center of the room. The layout of the place was open and warm, with overstuffed chairs and couches covered in all manner of blankets and pillows, every available surface had books and papers littering them, to the point they trailed to the floor. The entirety of the right side was left for the kitchen, the left for three separate rooms.

I trailed a hand over a chair and snatched up a fluffy blanket that'd been abandoned there. "Ken hon, where ya at?" I waited a moment but only silence answered me and I shrugged, guess I gotta hunt him down.

The kitchen and main area were obviously empty so it left the three closed doors to the left. The first was covered in hazmat signs, police tape, and elements from the periodic table arranged to spell nerd.

I barely have it cracked when a soft click sounded from behind the door.

"FUCK!" I scramble back and trip over a forgotten book as the door springs fully open and four tranqs shoot over my head before embedding themselves into the back of a couch.

My shoulder throbbed angrily and my ribs screamed in protest as I slowly pushed my self to stand. "Oook, I need to talk to that boy 'bout booby trapping his room." Last time I stayed here he had a nightmare and I ended up upside down and covered in blue glowing shit.

_Fucking stained me for days..._

I steered clear of his room in favor of the next door. It was a frosted glass door with silver vines twisting across the softly glowing glass. The room beyond it was no less beautiful; white and silver tiles flowed across the floors, the walls paneled in mirrors with frosted edges and silver vines, and a porcelain tub big enough to fit five grown men...

Which is where Kenji currently resided.

He was stripped down to his boxers sitting in a couple inches of water, shivering lightly and curled in on himself. Large blocky headphones covered his ears and something with an excessive amount of base came filtering through them.

Gently shutting the door behind me I tossed the blanket to the side and made my way to the tub. I slipped over the edge and settled into the freezing water, making sure I kept some space between us.

And then I waited.

This wasn't something I could fix with touches and comforting words, something that I understood, so all I could do for him right now was be here for him.

We sat there for nearly an hour and the water had become lukewarm before he moved. It was small at first, the twitching of a lip, the slight droop in his shoulders, and then he unraveled all at once and sagged into my side.

"Did you know there's a word for the lights you see when you press against your eyes?" His voice was soft and he sounded exhausted.

I settled an arm around his shoulders and ran a hand through his hair. It fell in untidy waves to his shoulders, might need to get it trimmed soon. I dislodged the headphones from his hair and dropped them over the side of the tub, humming as I resumed combing through his hair. "Is that so?"

He nodded and wrapped his arms around my stomach. "They're called phosphenes, isn't that such a pretty word?" His arms tightened around me for a moment before he sighed and pushed himself away.

"Sorry I ran out like that and left you with Papyrus and Undyne." He hoists himself out of the water and trots over to a mirror and gently pulls it open to reveal a plethora of fluffy towels. "I know how you dislike being around new people, but I just really needed to not be there."

He gestured for me to get out before tossing me a towel. "How did he do with the scans? Did he ask for anything? Did Undyne ever come back? Anything out of place? Or do you just need to ice 'em?"

I huff at his mothering, "Well enough, no, no, only some cracking, nothing major. so icing is the only thing I can do. I should be healed up in a day or two, depending if I pick up any monster food."

_Speaking of food, where the hell did I put the bag Sugar gave me?_

He pushed me out of the bathroom and towards the third door. "Don't worry, I grabbed it on the way out. Now go get changed while I heat up whatever she made us."

"You know I hate when you do that."

_Fucking creeps me out._

"Yeah I know, now go change."

This led to me approaching the third door, a titanium vault door with a retina scanner, fingerprint scanner, and 10 digit passcode. In other words, my bedroom.

The room itself was paneled in warm cherry wood with black carpeting so thick I sink a good inch into it. But behind everything was six inch thick concrete walls reinforced with a steel frame.

It was a very secure room, and the only room I kept anything of value.

Bookshelves covered three of the four walls and each shelf was filled with random knick-knacks and framed photos. The fourth wall had a large armoire and a simple twin sized mattress laden with blankets and pillows.

It took me a moment to get it open and another to deactivate the trap Kenji had set up a few steps in.

_I need to have a talk with that boy._

I stripped off my soaked clothes and tore off the gloves as I made my way to the armoire. I pulled out another black sweater and a soft pair of lounge pants along with a set of underwear I couldn't remember owning.

I turned to leave and noticed my clothes were gone and another blanket had been added to my bed. The door closed with a heavy click and the whirring of gears as I stepped into the main space. "Lovely work Kenji, I didn't even realize you'd entered my space." He beamed at my compliment and motioned for me to sit.

"I've been practicing whenever Cinnamon comes over, he's so hard to sneak up on and he never acts surprised." He pouts for a moment before handing me a plate stacked with the food Sugar packed and the thermos of now cold tea.

"Have you talked to Cinnamon yet? About wanting to fuck him I mean." I bit into a biscuit and chewed smugly as he sputtered incoherently before trying to hide his face.

"I um yeah, I did, and uh he said he was flattered but he thinks I should find someone my own age and yeah, he rejected me." The pout deepened for a moment and then he was back to his usual happy self. "He said we can stay friends though!"

I bobbed my head and took a swig of the spiked tea, sighing as warmth spread through my stomach and out to every limb.

_A lil' too much scotch Sugar_

_Shush you_

It was nice, to just sit here in silence with him, pretending for a moment that we were normal, that this was completely normal. My stomach churned angrily as I finished off my biscuit.

Reality settled heavily on my shoulders and I stood with a sigh. "While this was certainly an eventful visit, I have things to attend to." I scraped off the remaining food back into their containers and set the plate in the sink.

I scooped up my bag and dug out the gloves I'd stashed there earlier before settling them on my hands and digging through the bag for my phone.

2 missed calls and 3 texts.

Kenji watched me quietly from his seat, plate empty and eyes sad, as I started up the stairs. "I'll see you again big sis." He knew he couldn't do anything, this was my job, my way to further the family.

Numbness chased the warmth from my limbs and left me feeling empty. "I will see you again, Kenji." A promise of sorts, the only one that ever really mattered to us.

He nodded softly and curled into the chair with a plush blanket wrapped around his shoulders. I wanted to stay, to wrap my arms around him and protect him from the world, make wild promises that I could keep, but that isn't reality. We all had work that needed to be done, now was the time I needed to do mine.

I slipped into the stairwell and messaged Clove to meet me with a car.

 

Third Person POV

 

The warehouse district lay to the easternmost side of town, sitting right on the edge of the docks and nearly abandoned at night. It was in one of these warehouses that the Rhyden Family conducted some of its shadier business.

The three men who'd been sent to take down Eve were tied to chairs that had been bolted to the floor and awaiting their punishment.

Eve watched as they struggled against their bindings, face blank and eyes empty. "Have they said anything of use?" The other men in the room shifted uneasily and their silence spoke louder than anything they could've said.

She sighed softly and shook the gloves from her hands. "That's alright, I know you guys did the best you could," she glanced at them and offered a sad smile, "why don't you head on home? I can take it from here."

They could have argued, offered to take her place, anything, but they knew it would have been useless. She never made them hurt the people they brought here, and she never made them stay.

They shuffled out until only one was left. He never left during this time, he stayed, even if what he saw followed him into his dreams. "Thank you, Clove."

She grabbed a scalpel from a drawer and examined the bound men before her. A sliver of pity jabbed at her, and she shut it out immediately.

_~~To feel is to be weak, to be weak is to offer a weapon to the enemy, and then you die...~~ _

She had too much to lose to be weak.

The men eyed the small silver knife with a mixture of fear and defiance, they didn't know, how could they have?

"I'm sorry..." She didn't know who she was apologizing to anymore.

~~~~~~

She didn't sleep for the next two days, their screams followed her and her soul tried to tear itself apart, unable to shatter, despite everything.

_I'm sorry,_

_I'm so sorry..._

_I ' M  S O  S O R R Y_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are y'all enjoying this?


	8. Told you so...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People need to listen to Kenji...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really should be studying and fixing up my resume...
> 
> HERE'S AN EARLY CHAPTER EVERYBODY!

Eve's POV

 

My veins buzzed with the Large triple shot expresso french vanilla iced coffee I'd thought was a good idea and my hands shook when they reached for the pruning shears.

The bell over the door chimed merrily and I scowled as Sugar stomped her way towards me. "Fuck off Sugar, I ain't in the mood to deal with you." 

She scoffed before grabbing my chin and forcing me to meet her eyes. They were soft, full of warmth and motherly concern, and I immediately pulled away from her touch. "Baby girl, you look like utter shit, when was the last time you slept?"

"Fuck you!" I hissed venomously.

"Oh baby girl, you know I have you scheduled for Wednesday, have you eaten at all?"

_Fuck I hate when she pulls this motherly bullshit, fucking rots my teeth_

**_Are you sure it isn't the candy?_ **

_Did I fucking ask you?_

"Leave me alone Sugar, go bug Kenji if you want to feed someone." I pushed past her and made a beeline for the back room, ignoring the bell signalling a new customer.

"Sorry baby girl but seems like we've gotta do this my way then." A shadow loomed over me and before I could react I was hefted over someone's shoulder.

"BETRAYAL!"

I started thrashing against my captor as Sugar watched on with mild amusement. "Make sure you take her straight to Kenji, don't want her wandering off when she's like this." I shot her a glare but had to agree.

I was so tired, I'd hardly had more than two hours of rest in the last four days and I couldn't remember what I last ate. I was weak, having barely enough energy to thrash about, and even that was weak and slowing considerably.

I was carried out of the shop and settled into Clove's tank of a Jeep. "I'm sorry 'bout this Miss Eve, but I hafta agree with Mama, you're not looking too good, and those hits you dealt me will barely bruise. I know you could've at least broken several of my ribs if ya were in top condition." He tugs my seat-belt into place before ambling over to the driver's side.

It was silent the entire ride to the Rhyden building, but it was fine, not like I had anything to say to him anyways, fucking betrayed me. I was doing just fine before you assholes came to fuck up my day.

_You sound like a child_

We pulled up behind the building and Clove was out of his seat in an instant and unbuckling me from my own seat before lifting me to rest in his arms. He grabbed a duffel bag from the back seat and threw it over his shoulder before heading to the secret stairwell.

"My legs work perfectly fine, you should let me walk on my own." I wiggled in his hold and tried for an innocent smile.

"No."

"Asshole."

By the time he reached the top he'd hardly broken a sweat. Stepping into the lab revealed it was empty, and as I had last seen it, except for a half melted table that had become fused with the floor.

Clove paused and stared at the melted table quietly before shaking his head and venturing further into the lab. "I'm not even going to ask."

The sway of his arms and the heat that radiated from him had me relaxing into his chest with a content sigh. It was nice and I felt safer than I had in a while...

Until I was unceremoniously dumped into a pile of blankets.

"FUCK!"

I flailed and subsequently became more tangled than I'd already been. I paused for a moment before looking up to a chuckling Clove and whining pitifully. He rolled his eyes and freed from the blankets.

He shrugged the duffel bag off his shoulder and dropped it at my feet before turning away. "Mama packed some pajamas for you, might want to change before Kenji and his associates return from lunch."

I hummed in response and started digging through the bag. It was filled with pastel colored fabrics covered in lace.

_What the hell Sugar? Fuck that I'll just stay in my jeans, not like it's totally uncomfortable..._

**_Why is there so much pink? You look awful in pink!_ **

_Oh yeah, that's what really matters here..._

"Your mother is evil, seriously, when have I ever expressed a love for PINK SILK NIGHTIES!?" I waved the offending garment in his direction before kicking the entire bag across the room. "Seriously, when would I ever wear this bullshit? Do you know how hard it is to get stains out of silk? Shit's a nightmare..." My words caught on a yawn and Clove chuckled again.

"Shut up," I hissed, "I'm just gonna rest in my sweater, it's big enough anyway." I slipped the jeans off my hips and tossed them to the side before digging through the blanket mound to reveal a very squishy bean bag chair.

"If I'm needed I will be in my nest." With that, I snuggled into the beanbag chair and started wrapping myself in the surrounding blankets until my face was the only thing showing.

_It was soft and so very warm. I don't even want to sleep, it's just so nice and safe and so very warm..._

  
Third person POV

Clove settled into a chair and watched on in amusement as the elder Rhyden built a nest around herself, and then promptly fall asleep.

He looked over to the bag his mother had given him with a grimace. He knew it was his mama's way of telling Eve that she should try to be a girl for once, but she shouldn't push Eve so much.

He'd messaged Kenji beforehand on his mother's plan and the younger Rhyden had left his lab open and a bed set for his sister. He'd also promised that they would only science quietly while she was there, given that he didn't want to be murdered or look for new assistants.

Now, Clove considered himself to be a calm and collected person, as well as one who isn't easily frightened, It helped to be 6'5 and nearly 300 pounds of mainly muscle.

He was not prepared for a teleporting skeleton and his passengers to appear directly in front of him.

One second he was watching Eve sleep, the next there was two colorful monsters and Kenji stepping out of thin air. Before the trio could take in their surroundings Clove was out of his chair and looming over the group.

If asked he would have said he did it to intimidate them, but in reality, he'd nearly fell out of the chair, and in his struggle to right himself he ended up looming threateningly.

While the two monsters jumped back Kenji took it in stride and patted Clove on the arm before looking for his sister. "Hey there big guy, thanks for bringing her up. I should've checked on her sooner but there was some, uh, complications with a recent project." His gaze rested on the melted table before finding Eve.

He smiled softly before nudging Papyrus and pointing to the peaceful looking Eve. "See, she doesn't always look half feral, sure right now she looks kinda dead, but still." He shrugged before giving Clove another smile and heading off to look at some papers Undyne was shuffling around.

Clove eyed the skeleton who was now watching Eve sleep before shrugging and snatching up the almost forgotten duffle bag and quietly leaving. Even while sleeping he knew she could defend herself.

Papyrus contemplated Eve as she nestled further into her nest and was curious to see if she was actually sleeping. It wasn't an unusual thought considering how protective and defensive she'd been the last time he'd seen her. Surely she was awake and just waiting for one of the monsters to make a move on her brother, so what he did next was completely logical.

He poked her in the cheek.

Her face scrunched up and she whined lightly, but still seemed to be feigning sleep. "Uh, hey Papyrus, I wouldn't do that buddy," Kenji called out softly, watching with trepidation as the skeleton poked her cheek again. He shuddered as the skeleton looked at him and did it again. "Myötähäpeä," Kenji muttered softly and watched as Papyrus poked her again.

Only this time he didn't poke her cheek.

While Papyrus was distracted she'd yawned, and Papyrus's distal phalange poked into her mouth just as she snapped her jaw shut.

Three things happened.

One being Papyrus's distal phalange disappearing into Eve's mouth with a sickening pop.

The second being Kenji's horrified gagging.

And the third, Eve humming happily and sucking on her newly acquired "candy."

Undyne was still reading over the papers in her hands and was unaware of the horror the other two had witnessed.

Papyrus's eye lights flickered out as he stared at the space his distal had been, before turning black pits on the still sleeping Eve, "fuck."

"I told you," Kenji shuddered and slowly crept to the skeleton's side, "that you shouldn't do that. She bites, and uh, she has a bit of an oral fixation? It helps her keep calm and I'm not really sure if you'll get your finger back..."

As Kenji spoke Eve bit down on the piece of bone and her face twisted with disgust before she promptly spat the finger bone out and hid her face in the blankets with an angry grumble.

"...or you'll totally get your finger back. So now you know not to poke a sleeping Eve, c'mon we've got to finish the data reports on the scanners for the health committee before 8." Kenji dried the bone off and handed the piece back to Papyrus before clapping him on the shoulder and heading back to Undyne.

Papyrus took the bone and clicked it back into place, casting one last horrified glance at the sleeping girl before following after Kenji.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh, hope y'all enjoyed!


	9. Logophile...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gotta love them words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TUESDAY UPDATE
> 
> So, the warning for this chapter: There's a bit o' blood in the beginning.

Eve's POV

 

Sunlight filtered through the leaves and the light danced across my legs as I leaned against the old oak tree behind the family estate. Confusion washed over me and I tensed as the sound of giggling reached my ears.

A black blur followed by something ramming into my stomach had me gasping and clutching onto a grinning six-year-old Kenji. "C'mon Eve! I found a weird flower that I bet you can't name!"

He was clinging to my waist and seemed so happy, but I don't remember this. We were never allowed out of the house, we never went in search of flowers. I didn't even know what flowers looked like until I was 15 and snuck a book from Uncles office...

"Eeeeve! Whats wrong? Don't you wanna see the flowers?" His face pulled into a pout and he looked up at me with big puppy dog eyes.

"Kenji what...?" I raised my hands to push his face away and froze in horror.

Blood,

It coated every finger in sticky red and trailed down my forearms, dripping onto my jeans. Kenji's weight lifted from my lap as I stared in horror as the blood continued to soak into the dark blue fabric.

"Look what you did Eve." _That wasn't Kenji..._

"I told you to keep your filthy hands off my project." _Why are you..._

"Now he's tainted, he'll be just like you." _No..._

"Look at me when I speak, failure." _Why is there so much of it?_

"Look at me." _I can't, there's so much..._

"Hey Eve, I was thinking of making us some chili for dinner."

Everything shattered and I was up and moving before I could clear my eyes. "How 'bout I cook? Haven't made Mongolian beef in awhile and I-" I blinked away the sleep and finally registered I wasn't at home with Kenji, and we weren't alone.

I swiped a hand over my eyes and another through my hair, I tugged my gloves so they sat securely around my wrists and smoothed the hem of my sweater down before turning and addressing the others in the room.

"Hello again Papyrus, Undyne." The two monsters in question were watching me warily as Kenji continued typing away at a computer. "As I was saying, I found a recipe for saffron rice and stir-fried vegetables that have wonderful reviews. I am also open to suggestions of course."

Kenji hummed softly in response, suddenly absorbed in whatever he was typing. He kept flicking away the hair that settled over his eyes, just to have it settle there again. He made a low grumbling noise before pushing it all back with a frustrated hand.

I couldn't help but smile fondly as the hair slowly inched back to its original place. I snuck up behind him and combed his hair back and started putting it into a french braid. "No suggestions? Because for the veggies I was thinking about snow peas instead of sugar snap, maybe a little bit of red cabbage?"

His fingers clicked over the keys a few more times before he tilted his head back and smiled gratefully. "That sounds awesome sis. Did you sleep well enough? Did Sugar feed you? Kinda worried me when you went AWOL."

I patted his cheeks and gave his forehead a quick peck. "We'll talk later ok? Don't stay in too late, and no tired science," I look over to the eavesdropping monsters and give them both a sharp look, "that goes for you both, tired science is unsafe and detrimental all around."

With a final pat to Kenji's face and another small glare to the skeleton, I strolled out of the lab to call up Sugar and have her send somebody to bring me the ingredients I need.

  
Third person POV

Kenji hummed tunelessly as he finished writing the report for the medical board on the usefulness of his scanner. It was certainly one of his most amazing inventions, but with the help of the two monsters, it now had a new feature.

It could scan souls.

Now monster doctors would be able to help their patients through less invasive measures, as the scanner was only able to pull up the stats of the patient, much like initiating a fight.

"Hey, boss?"

"I told ya to call me Kenji, and yeah?" Kenji turned to Papyrus and watched as he fiddled with the controls for the newly upgraded scanner.

"We tried this out on Undyne, but we haven't tested it out on a human yet, d'ya think we should before we bring it up to the board?" Papyrus glanced at the scientist and eyed the spot where his soul should be.

Kenji nodded slowly and dug through his pockets for his phone. "Yup, lemme just make some calls and I'm sure I can find us a volunteer or two."

Papyrus scowled and looked to Undyne for help. "W-well, I was thinking t-that maybe you c-could test it for u-us?" Way to go Undyne.

Kenji smiled calmly and continued to scroll through his phone for someone he could ask. "Nope, I'd really rather not. Don't ask Eve either, besides, I think my friend Mace wouldn't mind being scanned." He shrugged and strolled to the side to call her.

Undyne glanced at Papyrus in confusion as he growled in annoyance. "I-is everything ok?"

Papyrus watched Kenji for another moment before sighing and running a hand over his skull. "Yeah, everything is... yeah I'm good. How's the wedding planning going?"

She lit up immediately and started explaining how they'd decided to have a summer wedding on a private beach cove and that they'd already found people for everything. She was ranting about color schemes when Kenji silently sidled up to the pair and looked over the scanner readings and jotting them down.

"Well I don't know 'bout you to but I'm feeling quite wabbit and not really going to risk my sis's wrath, so let's call it a night and head out?" He smiled at the confusion on their faces and bounced in place.

Papyrus scratched his mandible and narrowed his eyes at the bouncing scientist. "Ok, I'll bite, wabbit?"

Kenji nodded and his smile twitched higher. "It's a word I found! It's an adjective and means to feel exhausted or slightly unwell, pretty neat huh?" He looked between the two expectantly and shrugged when they gave him blank looks. "Words interest me."

"I'd think Eve would be the one interested in words, besides, I've seen some of the reports you've written, not exactly the most elegant wording."

Kenji shrugged and tossed his lab coat over his chair. "What is anything without words? They're the beginning of everything and can convey so much, for instance, did you know there's a word for jumping in puddles? It's hoppipolla! Isn't that amazing?" He smiled excitedly before striding for the exit.

"I'll be seeing you again!" He saluted them before disappearing out the door before they could say their goodbyes.

Undyne glanced at Papyrus before shedding her own lab coat and sorting out her papers. "W-well, that was a b-bit odd?"

He shrugged and tossed his lab coat onto a random desk. "Want me to drop you off at home? I'm planning on going to Muffets."

"I-if that's ok?"

He offered his arm and took one last glance at the scanner before teleporting them out of there.

  
Kenji's POV

 

The floor rushed to greet me as the secret door slid shut behind me. _Almost got caught, when was the last time I ate? Was it yesterday? Damn..._

I flopped to my side and stared at the pile of shoes. _Maybe I should get those sorted? I bet that's where my other purple converse is hiding. Or maybe It's under my bed?_

The walls slowed in their spinning just as soft footsteps made their way up the stairs. "Kenji?" Pale feet interrupted my view of the shoe pile and I tilted my head up and smiled shakily as Eve's face scrunched with worry.

"Heya sis."

"God Kenji, when was the last time you ate? Do I need to have Sugar come here every day to make sure you eat? Or maybe Mace? Damn it all, Ken, you can't keep doing this." She knelt down and turned her back to me, motioning for me to grab her shoulders. "C'mon, I'm gonna give ya a piggyback ride."

I wanted to protest, but I didn't feel like trying to stand and it's just so much easier to let her carry me. "Ok, sis."

She hefted me onto her back and it was damn near comical. My arms crossed over her chest and my feet hung to a little past her knees.

"Have you always been this short?"

"Do you want me to make you that special cure-all soup Sugar used to give us?"

"WOW, I BET YOU GREW LIKE THREE INCHES! AMAZING!"

"That's what I thought."

"Am I still getting Mongolian beef?"

"...Maybe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope ya enjoyed!


	10. So modest...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Modesty at its finest!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings for this chapter, I think?

Third person POV

 

Twenty minutes before his alarm was set to go off, Sans was pounding on Papyruses door and demanding for him to get his lazy bones up and moving.

He groaned and rubbed a hand over his sockets before glancing at his clock that'd been thrown across his room at some point.

7:42 a.m.

_Stars Sans, I don't have to be up for at least another thirty minutes._

"BROTHER! ARE YOU UP? I HAVE RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM YOUR EMPLOYER REQUESTING MY MAGNIFICENT PRESENCE!" That got him up and moving, pulling a clean pair of shorts from his dresser and a cleanish tank top from the floor.

"I HAVE ALSO PREPARED A NUTRITIOUS LUNCH FOR US, SO THERE IS NO NEED TO GO TO THAT GREASE TRAP YOU CALL MUFFETS!" Papyrus snatched his hoodie from the doorknob before dragging himself to the kitchen.

"What the boss want?" He fished his cigarettes from his hoodie before popping one between his teeth.

"BROTHER! I WISH YOU WOULD STOP SMOKING IN THE HOUSE. AND HUMAN KENJI EXPRESSED THAT HE WISHED FOR MY ASSISTANCE WITH TESTING THE PROJECT YOU'VE BEEN TELLING ME ABOUT, AND TO APOLOGIZE FOR HIS SISTER? HE SAID THAT HE IS SORRY ABOUT THE FINGER THING?"

Sans paused in packing away the tacos he had made for lunch and took in the glowing orange blush that was spreading across his older brothers face. "WHAT DID HE MEAN BY THAT?"

Papyrus sputtered for a moment before giving up and waving his hands at the tacos. "Why don't you pack some for the boss and his sister? I'm sure they'd love to try them."

Sans eyes widened and glimmered excitedly. "OF COURSE THEY WOULD! I AM THE MASTER TACO-TEER AFTER ALL! MWEH HEH HEH!"

Papyrus propped his skull on his hand and watched sea-tossed as Sans packed two more containers with the glittery monstrosities. "You're so cool, bro."

"OF COURSE I AM!"

"You're the _taco_ the town."

"BROTHER!"

 

  
Eve's POV

 

"I swear to God if you don't get me down I will fucking **_end you_**."

_This wasn't how I wanted to start my morning, hanging upside down by both ankles in only a tank-top and underwear._

"KENJI GET ME THE FUCK DOWN! I AM NOT AMUSED!"

Silence

_Fuck he can't hear me with my door closed..._

Pressure built behind my eyes and I groaned and slammed them shut. "Fucking hell Ken, when did you trap my room? I cleaned this shit up last night."

_Ok, I trained for this_

I bent until I could wrap my arms around my legs and then reached for the cord wrapped around my ankles. I wrapped the cord around my hands and started pulling myself up and trying to rip the cord in half.

"What the hell is this shit made of? No fucking waffles for you, asshole." The cord starts fraying between my hands and I smile victoriously...

Until it snaps and I'm suddenly plummeting to the floor.

"FUUUUCK!"

The carpet isn't thick enough to really cushion my fall, so when I slam back to the floor something clicks in my back and the wind is knocked from my lungs.

The walls spun dizzyingly and the floor felt like a sea-tossed boat. My lungs spasmed as I tried to force air into them, while my back throbbed unpleasantly.

The door swung open and Kenji sauntered in, typing furiously on his phone. "Hey sis you up yet? 'cause Sugar just dropped off some..." He finally took note of my sprawled position on the floor next to the broken cord that was now wrapped loosely around one of my ankles.

I sat up and smiled. " ** _Run boy_**."

I scrambled up from the floor and he gave a startled yelp before taking off across the main room and hightailing it to the stairs. "NONONONONO I'M SORRY!"

" _I'M GOING TO END YOU, YOU LITTLE SHIT!_ "

"NOOOOOOOO!"

" **FACE ME!** "

He reached the lab doors as I slammed the secret wall back into place and wrenched them open, all the while screaming bloody murder.

I raced through the door and stopped to scan the room for the boy. I blinked at the two skeletons in the room, one of whom Kenji was trying, and failing, to hide behind.

"Pleeaassee Papyrus you have to hide me!"

"What's going on?"

" ** _THERE YOU ARE YOU LITTLE ASSHOLE_**."

Kenji shrieked something unintelligible and tried to launch himself over a desk. I lurched forward, grabbed him around the waist, and slammed him to the floor. He wiggled and tried to throw me off but I had superior strength, and it ended with him pinned under me.

"What was the _one_ rule I had about my room?"

"Not to put traps in it?"

"Correct, and what did you _do_ while I was asleep?"

"Put a trap in your room..."

"Correct again, now, what do you suppose is an appropriate punishment for this?"

"No anime night?"

His voice started to warble and I sighed and let him up. "No, the punishment will be dish duty for the next week," I patted his cheek before standing and pulling him up, "and bathroom duty."

He pursed his lips in a pout before nodding and grabbing his lab coat. "Yeah that seems fair, want to stick around? Sugar dropped off a stack of papers that need to be looked through before Saturday, and I took the liberty of setting them on your desk with a newly stocked jar of suckers."

I turned to address the skeletons, to find them both blushing furiously and looking off to either side. "Papyrus, I see you're on time today, and Sans, what are you doing here?" I cocked a hand on my hip and tilted my head,

Sans sputtered something before turning even bluer and ripping off his bandana and offering it to me. I glanced at it then back to him with a raised brow. His blush grew darker and a pitiful whine escaped him.

"Geez sis, trying to put on a show?" Kenji snickered as he shuffled some papers and chewed on a pen.

Papyrus cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his skull, still not looking at me. "Gotta agree with the boss, you should get some clothes on kid."

It dawned on me that, I was in fact, only in my underwear and tank-top, I never stopped to put something on in my haste to chase down Kenji.

"I'm terribly sorry for my immodesty, and I am not a child. Do you still have that extra large lab coat, Ken?" He gestured to my desk off in the corner, where a lab coat hung over the back of the chair and dragged on the floor. "Thanks."

I patted Sans on the shoulder as he sheepishly re-tied the bandana around his neck. "Thank you."

A quick glance to Papyrus confirmed that the larger skeleton was glaring at me, though the orange blush had yet to leave his bones.

Considering the actual amount of sleep I'd had over the last few days, my response was completely and totally justified.

I flipped him the middle finger and stuck out my tongue.

His face flashed with surprise before he scowled and yanked his lab coat off a nearby table. Sans watched him with confusion before turning and asking Kenji something.

"Heh, god he's such a cutie."

"Hell yeah he is, did you see how-"

I ripped my eyes away from the boys and launched my fist into the newcomers face...

_... Probably should have looked before I swung._

An Amazonian like woman kneeled next to my desk, swearing thickly and clutching her, now gushing, nose. "YA FUCKING BITCH!"

"Language Mace and you deserved for not blocking in time."

"YOU BROKE MY NOSE!"

"And you startled me, I think we are fairly even in this."

I hefted her to her feet and steered her towards Kenji. "Can you patch her up? At least until I can cover myself?" Sans took her shoulder and helped steer her the rest of the way while giving me a wide smile.

**_Does this guy ever stop smiling?_ **

"DO NOT FEAR HUMAN EVE! I WILL HELP MEND HER."

I nodded my thanks before heading back to my desk and slipping on the large lab coat. It'd originally been a previous assistants coat but certain, circumstances, led to his dismissal from the company.

Looking over the papers made me scowl, god how I hated taxes and given that I owned and co-owned so many businesses it was impossible to avoid them. Plus I didn't trust any of those grubby tax advisors that always offered their assistance.

"When did I become the sole person doing the taxes?" I glanced at Kenji who shrugged and nodded to Mace. "Probably when we gave them to her to do and she burnt down three buildings."

"ONE TIME!"

"Twice actually, and stop giving me that look Papyrus, it was because she fell asleep and left her cigarette lit. All the paperwork went up near instantly and we lost quite a bit of money rebuilding those two homes."

"I said I was sorry, even worked at Eve's for a bit to pay off my debt."

I hummed quietly and marked down a few numbers. "Aren't you supposed to be there right now? Or is Sage watching it for you? Gotta pay that girl better." The last part came out as a quiet murmur as I scrunched my nose at some of the papers.

"I already filed the taxes for Eden, Happy House, and Sugar Sweet. I forgot to mention it to Sugar yesterday. When you're done here Mace will you take these back to her?"

The taller girl scowled as Sans taped the last bit of gauze over her nose before stalking over and shoving the rest of the papers into a pile. "If I didn't love you like family-"

"Then you'd most likely have been dead by now." My words were nearly silent as I breezed past her. But they were true, any of the Spyce clan was free to leave the Family, but in doing so they were denied the protection of the Family.

Leaving them to be easy prey for the Barsotti...

"Understood, Miss Eve."

I hated this, I shouldn't be able to scare my family into submission, I shouldn't have to. But here I am, threatening someone only a couple years older than Kenji and whom I consider being a little sister. I fucking hate this.

A dark hand invades my vision, slender fingers curled over the stem of a sucker.

"I'm sorry." I don't deserve your apologies.

I accept the sucker, keeping my eyes on Kenji as he explains something to Sans while Papyrus watches on with a fond smile.

"I know, I am too."

_Aren't we all?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SLEP IS FOR THE WEAK!


	11. Volunteers...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The volunteers have arrived! And so does the unpleasantness.
> 
> Trigger warning; Invasion of personal space, creeps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LOVE INSOMNIA!

Eve's POV

Sans came bounding over as I unwrapped the sweet an popped it past my teeth.

_Lime, nice_

"HUMAN EVE, IT SEEMS WE HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON!"

I gave him a questioning look and pinched Mace as she tried to sneak past me. She gave a startled yelp before glaring at me and grumbling.

He ignored her as she weaved around him and went to join the others that were slowly filtering in. "YES, WE BOTH ARE FANS OF BEAUTIFUL HAND WARE!" He wiggled his phalanges in question and I noticed they were different from what I'd seen him wearing before. They were an almost electric blue that matched his bandanna and seemed to be made from something similar to leather.

I couldn't help but chuckle at his exuberance in everything. "So it seems, they are rather lovely. May I ask where you acquired them?"

His grin widened and he sucked in a breath, presumably to start proclaiming the magnificence of the manufacturer when Papyrus appeared and grabbed his brother's shoulder. "C'mon bro, gonna run the scanner now."

I look past the brothers and noted that several people had joined Kenji near the scanner controls. My spine prickles with unease and I push past the skeletons to make my way to Kenji's side.

I give the new monsters a cursory glance before turning my attention to the humans of the group.

I recognize most of the humans as grandchildren of Sugar, except for a tall male near the back, who yawns as Kenji explains that they need to read over the packet put together by Undyne and that they can leave if they wish.

He notices my stare and his lips curl into what I think is supposed to be a seductive grin, it looks disgusting.

**_THAT BOY IS A FUCKING CREEP, NO THANK YOU!_ **

_Must you yell?_

I focus back onto the other humans and feel a sense of pride in Kenji's choices. They were all rather innocent, at max they'd have a few points to their EXP, but in all, they were rather clean. The thought brought me back to the one male I didn't recognize, I didn't know what his stats would reveal.

Papers were passed around and the group scatters to find a flat surface to write on.

Except for the mystery man.

His eyes are still trained on me and a sick feeling settles in the pit of my stomach.

_Move, walk away, we don't need-_

"It's impolite to stare." _Good, maybe he'll feel embarrassed and leave me alone._

**_Wrong_ **

His grin slides into a smirk and he wiggles his eyebrows in amusement. "Sorry there baby girl, just never seen something so damn fine."

I shiver in disgust and back away, wedging myself against the desk behind me. I try to look for Kenji and notice him in a heated discussion with a bunny monster. Even Sans is busy talking to his brother, brow bones scrunched up and face serious.

_None of them paying any attention to my situation..._

The man chuckles darkly and presses forward until he's looming over me and the only escape would be to climb over the desk. "Where ya goin' baby girl? Just wanna talk to ya, get to know ya better."

Cornered, fuck I hate being cornered. "Back the fuck off, o-or else." Fucking hell, my voice broke and my stomach dropped as his smirk grows and a malicious glint enters his eyes.

"Or else? Or else what? Baby girl, I want you to give me the best you got, make it real fun for me." He leans forward and cages me in with his arms, nearly pressing me into the desk with how close he was.

A wave of panic washes through me and my throat closes up as my muscles start trembling. _Fuck I can't do this right now, I'm not at my full strength and I can't, God I need to breathe._

His face drops into my neck and I can feel his breath ghost over my pulse point.

_This is so wrong, please no..._

"If you don't remove yourself from her, well, I can't guarantee that you'll stay in one piece."

Kenji's voice is near silent as he rests his hand on the man's shoulder. I turn wide eyes to him and cringe away at the twitching smile that sits there.

** _Please help us..._ **

Fury flashes through his emerald eyes and he's suddenly pulling the man by the collar of his shirt to the exit. "Sorry, it seems we had too many volunteers, so you'll have to leave." He never loses the grin, but neither does the man.

Before he's pushed out the door he casts me a wink and mouths something over Kenji's shoulder.

_I'll be seeing you again, baby girl._

  
Kenji's POV

 

I smile at the mixed group widely and gesture around the lab. "Hiya, welcome to my labs and thank you so much for your time. I've asked you all here to try something that my associates and I believe will help revolutionize the way humans and monsters are treated in the healthcare business." I paused and passed out the papers Undyne prepared yesterday for this purpose.

"If you'll so kindly look through these, it will explain the use of the scanner and what your part will be in today's experiment. Take your time and really read it over, the last page is a consent form that you have to sign if you wish to be part of the experiment. You may leave at any time, but we ask for your discretion at this time, understood?" They all nod and head off, except for one.

Mace had told me his name was Pepper, he was one of her cousins who just came back from university. The entire time I spoke to the group his eyes would wander and he'd yawn, that is until Eve seemed to catch his eye.

 _I don't like the way he's looking at her_...

Bleu and Felix waved me over, and I took one last glance at Pepper, before heading over to the monster pair. "Wassup guys? Got some questions for me?"

The tabby monster smiles encouragingly at his bunny friend. The bunny turns a little red under his fur and coughs. "Uhm yeah, so this is meant to be less invasive for monsters? But how are you able to know how the soul is doing without actually taking it out?"

I nod in understanding and gesture to Papyrus. "We actually already tested it on my associate Undyne, and Papyrus there said it was near perfect for monster doctors to be able to help their patients. I don't really know all that much about monster souls, but I trust Papyrus and Undyne."

Felix nods happily and Bleu rubs his long ears tiredly. "Yeah, gotta say I trust 'em, and you too Kenji, haven't steered us wrong yet."

_~~God I need to breathe...~~ _

My attention snaps over to Eve immediately as dread threads its way through my stomach.

Her form is barely visible around Peppers. He has her pressed against the desk, a vicious smirk spread across his face and his eyes gleamed with ill intent.

I was at her side immediately, forcing my smile to remain calm as I gripped onto his shoulder. "If you don't remove yourself from her, well, I can't guarantee that you'll stay in one piece."

_Calm, gotta keep it calm, can't lose your cool while everyone is here..._

~~ **_Please help us_ ** ~~

I took in her panicked eyes and pale face, and something ugly twisted in my stomach.

The smile twitches and I haul the bastard away from Eve and towards the exit. "Sorry, it seems we had too many volunteers, so you'll have to leave."

He struggles for a moment before relaxing and stepping into the stairwell with a sly smirk. "Mmm feisty, too bad I don't swing that way. I'll be seeing you again too." I slammed the door and huffed as the tension faded.

  
She sat stone still on the desk, legs pulled under her and eyes trained on her hands. "Sorry 'bout that Kenji, knew ya needed him for your-" I crushed her into a hug, trying to stop her from talking. This wasn't her fault, I'll be damned if she blames herself for his actions.

Fucking bastard...

"Why don't you go home and get some food and rest? Maybe a bath too? You are smelling a little repulsive." I pulled away and grinned until she looked up and offered a smile.

"Yeah, that sounds pretty nice, message me if you need me, and Mace is here if you need any help." I helped her to her feet and nudged her towards the exit. "He should be gone, if not, shove 'im down the stairs, serves him right."

The smile turns a little sharper and I relax a little more. She's strong, stronger than most, she could handle a creep like him.

"See ya later sis."

She pats my hand before striding for the exit. "See ya later Ken."

  
Third person POV

Eve trudged down the stairs and nearly passed the secret door in her stupor.

What the fuck, I was so open back there, I need to get some rest and try to eat, I can't let him get the drop on me again.

She shrugged off the lab coat and hung it beside countless others that Kenji had collected over the years.

Maybe I'll heat up some leftovers and go veg out in front of Kenji's tv, binge some anime and catch up to him so we can watch something new on anime night.

She slides off the leather gloves and sighs softly.

_That feels so nice..._

"Already undressing without me baby girl? How naughty of you."

She whirls around and faces the man, heart in her throat and ice in her stomach. "Get the fuck out."

He chuckles darkly and steps further into the great room. "Playing hard to get? How'd you know daddy loves that game?" His smile is lazy as he slowly unbuttons his shirt and takes another step towards Eve.

"But you've been a naughty girl, and daddy needs to punish you." His smile drops in an instant as he springs for Eves frozen form.

**_ KENJI! _ **

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If y'all read anything triggering don't hesitate to message, I'm sorry and thank you for reading...


	12. Too Spycy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as the title says, too much Spyce

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so some warnings for this chapter.
> 
> Attempted rape, Lots of violence, and as always; profane language.

Kenji's POV

 

The door shut behind Eve and I turned back to the rest of the room with a wide smile. Papyrus had a small crowd gathered around him as he looked through the documents that each participant handed him.

Mace watched from off to the side with one of Eve's suckers stuck between her teeth. Her dark eyes settled on me and she flicked them to the exit with a raised brow.

I scowled at the exit and settled on the desk next to her. "Your cousin damn near molested Eve, in my territory nonetheless."

She studied me for a moment before tapping out something on her phone with a hum. "Sugar knows now, she's tellin' the rest of the family to look out for 'im. Cinnamon's got his girls lookin' too." She cuts her eyes to me, hand still tapping rapidly. "Haven't seen that smile in a looong time. Don't go doin' nothin' risky, Eve needs ya more than ya might think."

With a sharp nod, I make my way back to the scanner controls, giving Papyrus a thumbs up.

_It's fine, Sugar can take care of this, he is her grandson, after all, she would deliver a punishment much crueler than any I could._

"Alright, if everyone would please line up along that wall? Yes just like that, alright this will only take a minute and-"

**_ ~~KENJI!~~ _ **

"-AND PAPYRUS CAN TAKE OVER NOW, MACE WE GOTTA GO!"

I sprint out the door and launch myself down the landing, barely looking back to check if Mace had followed. Her grin is feral as I slam the wall open. "Got ya back, Kenji boy."

Thuds echoed up the stairs and into the front foyer, followed by soft laughter and cloth ripping. "Oh baby girl, you can't pass out now, daddy hasn't had his fun yet!"

I slam down the stairs and launch myself into Pepper. " ** _I  W I L L  E N D  Y O U!_** "

I tangle my hands in his hair and start slamming his face into the floor.

" **YOU.** " _slam_ , " **DON'T**." _slam_ , " **TOUCH**." _slam_ , " **MY.** " _slam_ , " **FAMILY!** " _SLAM!_

**"HOW DARE YOU? I WILL BASH YOU TO A BLOODY PULP! THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU!"**

"KENJI THAT'S _ENOUGH!_ " Hands tore at my coat and ripped me away from Peppers unconscious form, effortlessly tossing me out of reach.

_Why is there so much blood?_

"Stop fighting, go take care of Eve, she got knocked pretty hard." Mace shoved me away as I reached for Pepper and flipped him onto his side. "Go get yer medical shit, I can watch over them for a moment."

I nodded woodenly and ripped the cushion off my favorite chair, grabbing the overly large med kit that Eve insisted we kept there, despite the thirteen others that were hidden around the apartment.

_I love it when she's right_

I dragged it over to Eve and positioned it so that Mace could use it to patch up that worthless piece of shit.

_Maybe I should just-_

"Don't forget to put on gloves, don't need her getting anything in those wounds before her healing can-"

" _Don't tell me how to patch up my own sister!_ " I snarled, baring my teeth at Mace and tugging on a pair of sterile surgical gloves.

She grew silent and focused on fixing the mess I'd made of Peppers' face.

I ran a hand through my hair before giving it a harsh tug before turning to Eve and getting to work.

It looked like she'd just gotten home when he attacked, her knuckles aren't bruised, her nails look clean, there's no sign she fought back, he must have tackled her and the thud earlier was her head hitting the ground.

I push her bangs away and gently run my hand over her scalp, hissing at the egg-sized lump forming near the back. I'd have to watch her, make sure she didn't have a concussion, shit she's not gonna like being on lab arrest again.

"Tell sugar to send Clove."

"Kenji you know what-"

"I don't give two fucks what he does to that bastard, he attacked Eve, and you and I know what he would have done if I couldn't hear her and we hadn't come to her rescue."

Eve grunted before jerking awake and slamming her head into my shoulder. Her hands rip at my arms and her breathing comes out in short gasps.

" _ **NONON** ONONONONO **NONO**_."

Tears streak down her face as she keeps clawing at any part she can reach, nails nearly ripping through the thick lab coat. Her eyes were wild and her breath came out in sharp pants.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her into a bear hug, gently rocking from side to side and humming softly, trying to make sense of the jumbled mess that were her thoughts.

_C'mon now, you know me, we got this..._

She continues scratching at my back and arms, pulling at my hair and clothes, until she finally just sags and breaks down into shuddering sobs, clinging to me as I run a hand through her hair and rub her back soothingly.

"There we go, hey there sis, welcome back."

I shoot a glance to Mace and nod as she zip-ties Peppers hands behind his back and props him against a couch.

_I shouldn't have snapped at her, this has gotta be hard, he's her family..._

"Don't Kenji, I know what yer thinkin' and it doesn't matter. He knows what he did, and he's gonna pay for it."

Eve quiets in my arms and I loosen my hold on her a bit. "Sorry to say sis, but you're on lab arrest for at least a week."

Her shoulders hunch inwards as she wraps an arm over her chest. "Damn Ken, I'm not made of fucking glass, I can-"

"You couldn't even fight him off in the lab, Eve."

She flinches before reaching for my face, only to freeze and stare in horror at her bare hands. "Oh, oh god, I didn't touch you, right? Kenji I'm so-"

"I wore gloves when handling you, and your hands never touched skin, only my clothing. Mace, will you grab a pair from her room? I think it was left open this morning."

"I gotcha, any traps?"

"No?"

"Damnit Kenji, STOP SETTING THEM UP IN HER ROOM."

 

  
Third person POV

 

While the action was going on downstairs, Papyrus was glaring furiously at the controls and grinding his teeth on a sucker Sans had given him.

_What the fuck was that about? Makin' me do all the damn work, what the hell..._

"Everything ok over there Slim?"

He snaps his attention to one of the few humans to remain in the room, now mainly full of monsters after Kenji took off with Mace.

"Yes, everythin's fine."

"Mkay, just wanted to check cause yer chewing awfully hard on that candy and-" She's cut off as her cell phone trills angrily from her pocket.

"Shit, ALRIGHT EVERYBODY, NICE SEEIN' YA! WE GOT SOME COOKIN' TO DO AT THE APARTMENT, LET'S GO SPYCES."

The humans around the room snap to attention and start sprinting for the exit, waving and smiling over their shoulders as they disappeared out the exit.

Felix tugs Bleu over to where Papyrus is staring at the door and waves his hand. "So, uh, that a normal thing that humans do?" The bunny monster slouched next to the cat monster and picked at the end of his shirt.

Papyrus shrugged and offered his arm to the two. "I'll drop you guys off real quick, don't touch anything while I'm gone, Sans." The monsters grabbed his coat and in an instant, they were gone.

Sans scanned the room and tsked at the trash and random papers the scientists had left lying over every surface.

He glanced at the bean bag surrounded by blankets and decided he'd start with folding them and then working his way outwards.

"Papy hates it when I mess with his papers at home, maybe I can convince Human Kenji to get him to be more organized." He muttered as he started stacking the blankets around the bean bag chair.

He then went through the lab and threw away all the old Muffets bags, energy drink cans, and random bits of rubbish.

"Tch, scientists."

"I know, they can never seem to pick up after themselves."

Sans whirled around and found Eve watching him from the exit, now fully clothed in a shirt several times too big for her and extra baggy sweatpants. "I have to come in at least twice a month to deep clean the place, and even then it's back to the way it was two days later."

She padded to her desk in the corner and popped the lid off the sucker jar. "Would you like one?" She asked as she held one out for him to take.

He noticed that the bags under her eyes seemed darker, the arm she held out seemed to tremble ever so slightly. He took the sweet gently and studied her as she trudged over to the bean bag chair and slowly sank into it.

"YES, I thank you, Human Eve!"

She chuckled softly and nestled deeper into the chair. "It's no trouble, just a sweet, would you mind handing me some of the blankets?"

Why was the human napping here?

"OF COURSE HUMAN EVE!"

"And please lower your voice, I have quite the headache."

"My apologies Human Eve."

She smiled up at him as he placed blankets over her. "Thank you, Sans, you are very kind."

He felt heat rise to his face and spun away to continue collecting trash. "OF COUR- er, of course! I am the Magnificent Sans after all! That means I am magnificently kind!"

He turned back to find her watching him intently, before closing her eyes and sighing. "Not a lot of people like you, keep being kind."

"You are kind as well Human Eve!"

She didn't answer and he crept closer to find her sleeping with a small smile pulling at her lips. He blushed furiously and tucked the blankets around her.

Both were unaware of being watched from the exit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if y'all are enjoying this or not, but thank you for reading it!


	13. Banished...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I really want to put glitter in all my foods...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so there are some serious warnings here.
> 
> Torture, vomiting, blood, violence.
> 
> If you want to avoid it, just stop reading when you get to Sugar's point of view and I'll have a summary in the end notes.

Third person POV

 

"Any reason why you're lurking at the exit?" Papyrus whipped around and came face to face with a grinning Kenji. "Are they doing anything interesting in there? Ooooh, has Eve finally snapped and asked him to cuddle? That'd be kinda cute..."

"What the fuck boss man!?"

"Kenji."

"Whatever."

"Well as lovely as this has been why don't we continue this in the lab? I need to look over the readouts for the scanner and compare them with the one we took of Undyne."

Papyrus held the door open and followed after Kenji as he made a beeline for the pile of papers Papyrus had left next to the scanner.

"Ya could have seen the actual test if ya hadn't run out of here like a madman. Is that a human thing? Cause all the others did the same thing, yellin' about how they need to do some cookin'?"

Kenji waved a hand in dismissal and started leafing through the papers. "It is, for our family at least, not so sure about others."

Papyrus rubbed at his cervical vertebrae and watched as Sans continued to quietly clean the area around Eve. "Sooo, they were all your family? Cause that one guy looked to be a little too friendly with Eve." He looked back to Kenji and saw a flash of something dark cross his face before it went back to a neutral smile.

"Not by blood, and he's not really a part of the family..." Kenji's smile sharpened for an instant and Papyrus felt a shiver of fear run down his spine.

Kenji tapped the papers on the desk before setting them off to the side and lazily making his way to Eve. "Hate to wake her, but she needs to eat."

Sans perked up immediately and pulled his container of tacos from his pocket. "Human Kenji! I have made the most magnificent tacos for your consumption!"

Kenji tried to rationalize where the tacos appeared from while Papyrus stared at his brother in shock. He hadn't heard his brother so quiet before, even with others sleeping nearby.

"I'm not gonna even try. Sooo tacos you said? I love tacos! Whats your favorite kind?" Kenji pulled some rolling chairs around Eves makeshift bed and started gently prodding her shoulder. "Yo sis, time to wakey, Sans brought lunch."

She shifted further into her cocoon and growled warningly. Sans watched as Kenji chuckled lightly and patted her head lovingly. "You are an excellent older brother Human Kenji!"

Kenji ripped his hand away and gave Sans a wide-eyed stare before dissolving into a fit of giggles. "Is that what this looks like? Nah man, she far older than me, technically she's my legal guardian for a few more months." He smiled fondly before again nudging her shoulder.

Sans and Papyrus shared a baffled look before turning back to Kenji and a now half awake Eve. "I heard you talkin' shit 'bout me and-" a yawn cut her off and her jaw clicked painfully.

The two skeletons flinched and Kenji laughed softly. "Nah sis, just talkin' about the tacos Sans made. Have some, and then you can get back to sleep."

"Wasn' sleepin'."

"Of course not sis, want to pass around the goods, Sans?" he nudged the smaller skeleton and tilted his head to the container still in his hands.

Sans ripped the top off and passed the glitter coated monstrosities to the others. "THEY ARE- achem - they are made with only the finest NTT brand mostly edible glitter and sequins!"

Behind him, Papyrus was gesturing for Kenji to follow him as he stepped away from his exuberant brother. Kenji scootched away as Eve studied the shimmering taco, and went to stand by Papyrus.

"I don't know whats going on with your sister, but maybe it isn't the best idea ta-" Papyrus looked back in time to see Eve shove the entire taco in her mouth, chewing around the mouthful and humming in thought.

Kenji clapped a hand to Papyrus's shoulder before taking a hardy bite of his own taco. "Don't worry 'bout it. She's got a stomach of steel, I should know, she's eaten everything I've ever made." Eve finally swallowed and smiled at Sans, murmuring a quiet delicious before curling back into the nest.

Papyruses jaw hung open as Kenji took another bite. "And trust me, I am the worst cook to ever walk the earth. Hey, Sans? Can I have another taco? They're some of the best, although, you should try some of Eve's breakfast tacos! She makes 'em once a month on anime night."

Kenji plopped next to Sans as they talked about all the different things one could put into a taco and comparing the animes they'd seen.

Papyrus watched on, still somewhat horrified someone had been able to eat his tacos and ask for seconds at that.

_Nobody since Chara..._

He puffed out a sigh before glancing past them to Eve, who was watching him through cracked eyelids. A frown tugged at her mouth and she held his gaze for another moment before burying her head in the blankets again.

"Hey Papyrus, I got a question for ya." Kenji left Sans to continue his cleaning and scarfed down another taco. "Can I-"

"Ken, no."

"GO TO SLEEP EVE AND LEAVE ME TO MY SCIENCING."

"I'm not sleepin'."

Kenji huffed before flapping his hands dismissively. "Anyways, can I stick my hand in your mouth? I noticed how the tacos didn't fall straight through your jaw and I-" Kenji was cut off as Eve snuck up behind him and lifted him over her shoulder. "Told ya no, now go do the actual sciences."

She hefted him over to the scanner and dropped him on his ass. "You want me to rest, I want you to do your job, now stop being weird." She yawned before shuffling back to her nest, stopping to give Papyrus a tired glare. "Don't encourage him either, shit needs to get done." With that she dove back into the blankets, effectively burying herself.

Papyrus watched the blanket pile twitch and shudder before he shrugged and made his way to Kenji's side as he read over the reports again.

  
Sugar's POV

 

Stepping into the warehouse was almost nostalgic. The front office was filled with all my babies quietly talking among themselves. Cinnamon had a hand on Cloves shoulder, trying to calm his twin and prevent him from doing something irrational.

_I'll be damned surprised if Pepper's still in one piece..._

I whistled sharply and they all rushed me, chattering anxiously and fussing over me.

_I do so love my babies._

"Mama Sugar! How are your knees doin'?" Bay asked worriedly, taking my bag and setting it aside.

"Don't you worry little leaf, just got a checkup, they're doing fantastic." I patted her cheek affectionately.

"Mama, how's the shop?" Asked one of the smaller girls in the room.

"Booming as always Saffron, how Paprika? She got all her meds?"

"Of course she is Mama. She's been doing so much better, might even be up to visiting soon!"

"Good, now all of you, get out. Mama needs to have a chat with one of her bad kiddies." And like that everyone but two cleared the room, waving goodbye and calling out to each other as they passed.

I turned and smiled up at my two handsome boys. "Cinnamon dear, don't you have the club today? And Clove baby, I want you to watch over Eve for now."

"But, Mama-?"

"Don't you talk back to your mama, I told you what to do now I expect you to do it, understood?"

The boys bowed their heads, thoroughly chastised. "Yes, Mama."

I patted their arms affectionately and pushed past them out of the main office. "Good, I love you boys, and you make me so proud."

I waited for them to leave, watching through a security monitor as they drove away, before rummaging through a drawer and grabbing a thick pair of gardening gloves. They would be almost too tight on my boy's arms, but were baggy and reached well past my elbow, only hugging my hands. I nabbed an apron off a hook and grabbed my bag as I entered the main room of the warehouse.

"Oh, you boys know how to make your mama happy." I sighed as I took in the sight in front of me.

Pepper hung from the high ceilings, barely low enough to stand on the balls of his feet to relieve the pressure on the manacles around his wrists. They left him in his white button-up and dress pants, and it seemed someone did a number on his face.

"Hmmm, who hurt you, honey?"

He lifted his head and smiled wearily, eyeing my attire and the bag I held with growing fear.

"M-Mama, they lyin'! Whatever they told you, I swear on-"

_SLAP_

"That's not what I asked honey, who hurt you?"

"M-M-Mama?"

I let the bag drop by his feet, relishing the way he flinched at the resounding thud. "Am I going to have to guess? Or are you going to tell me? You know how I loathe guessing games."

He gulped as I smoothed a hand over his shirt, tsking at the blood on the collar.

_Always such a **messy** child_

"N-no Mama, I'll t-tell you. I-It was K-Kenji, he d-did t-this."

I hummed thoughtfully and turned towards my bag. "Now why would he do that? Kenji's such a peaceful child, cried once when he accidentally tore the wing of a moth, so what made him hurt you? I wonder..."

His jawed clenched at that and he looked into a dusty corner, guilt and disgust warring in his eyes.

"I see, why don't I tell you what Mace told me hmmm?" I slipped the crowbar from the bag as well as a small scalpel-like knife.

"You volunteered for the soul scan testing." I tapped his hip lightly with the crowbar.

"You showed up with a couple of your cousins." I trailed the knife across his back.

"And then, a pretty little thing caught your eye." A firmer press of the knife to his ribs.

"And you knew who she was, and instead of being a gentleman, like your mom raised you to be, you go and damn near molest her, right there in the lab." I slam the flat side of the crowbar into the back of his knees, earning a pained cry.

"M-Mama p-p-please, I-I-I-" I slice across his hip, silencing him as his blood slowly stains the once nice dress pants.

"I didn' ask you to speak, where was I?"

Tears start streaming down his face as he hiccups over quiet sobs. The chains rattle as his frame trembles.

"Right, so then Kenji escorts you out of his labs, rather nicely might I add, and tells you to leave. So what do you do?"

He whimpers pathetically, wiggling uselessly against his bonds.

_CRACK_

His scream is sharp when the crowbar meets his hip, breaking off into louder sobs.

"You will speak when spoken to, is that understood?"

I wait a moment for him to catch his breath before gently prodding his now broken hip.

"YES I UNDERSTAND!" He cries, chest heaving as a new wave of tears cascade down his twisted and bloody face.

"Good, now what did you do after Kenji removed you from the lab?"

He took another shuddering breath before hanging his head and beginning. "I-I, I felt, cheated. S-she was so beautiful, a vision i-in white. So slight under me, and the fire that burned in her eyes," his ruined face twisted into an ugly smirk, "I wanted to extinguish it!"

_CRUNCH_

His scream was garbled as he began puking. I stepped away from the growing puddle at his feet and tsk in disgust, noting I'd have to get the area deep cleaned after we were finished here.

"Don't deviate from the story, what did you do?" I removed the blade from his hip, smiling lightly as it moved broken bits out of order.

"I, I waited for her, i-in the ap-p-partment. I knew s-she'd show u-up s-sooner or later, and then I-I'd talk to her."

"But that's not what you did, now is it?"

"I only wanted to show her how much I love her! I-I knew if I could show her that, how much I could worship her body, she'd feel the same. I know she loves me, I know-" I silenced him with a light tap to his ribs.

"Oh no, honey, lemme tell you what you really did." My gentle smile faded away and a snarl pulled at my lips. "You tried to RAPE my little girl. She is OFF-LIMITS TO ALL OF THE FAMILY, YOU ARE NO EXCEPTION." I hissed, dropping the crowbar and slashing across his ribs with the knife.

His cry was music to my ears

"I, as matron of the Spyce Family, hereby banish you, Pepper J. Spyce, from this family and all our lands, may you be cleansed of our heritage and pay for your sins in blood."

His screams rang through the warehouse early into the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pepper was taken to The Warehouse and interrogated by Sugar, before being banished.
> 
> Hope ya like it!


	14. Promises...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenji and Eve really do love each other, even if they act like children sometimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO AGAIN! Caffeine is truly a glorious thing! 
> 
> So some warning for you guys.
> 
> Referenced past child abuse, past injuries, blood.

Eve's POV

Three days into lab arrest and I had successfully driven Kenji up a wall, literally, and Undyne had been trying to get him down for nearly an hour now.

"K-K-Kenji sir, we r-really need to g-go over the final report for the m-meeting tomorrow." She waved the papers in frustration as Kenji lounged in the rafters and tinkered with random things he found in his pockets.

He peeked over the edge of the beam he was on and frowned at me. "Not until she apologizes for breaking my stuff."

Undyne turned to me and looked about ready to cry. "M-miss Eve?"

"I refuse to apologize for something that would not have happened had I been allowed to leave."

"I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU."

Papyrus was dozing in a chair off to the side, a half-eaten sweet hanging from his parted teeth, and I was tempted to tip him out of his chair.

"You are acting like a child."

"AM NOT!"

"Desist from this behavior or I will be forced to punish you."

"Oh yeah? How?" He hung over the side of the beam, grinning cockily and wiggling his eyebrows.

"I'm not making breakfast tacos for anime night."

The grin slipped off his face the same instant his hands lost purchase on the beam, sending him plummeting headfirst to the tiles below.

I lurched forward, hand outreached and soul sparking, before he was enveloped in orange magic and gently lowered to the floor. The magic dispersed as abruptly as it came, leaving Kenji blinking owlishly in confusion.

I whipped my head over to Papyrus, who still seemed to be napping peacefully.

_Orange magic, gravity? Odd. I'd never seen it-_

"This is YOUR FAULT!"

Kenji stood, trembling and face twisted with anger. "Why can't you just apologize? I'm trying to look after you and you act like a total _bitch_!"

"language," I said coldly as he towered over me, clearly trying to intimidate me.

"Shut up! You aren't my mother! You-"

And like that, something snapped.

"You're absolutely right! I'm _not_ our mother, I'd never willingly let my children be-"

"Don't."

"Don't what? tell the truth? _She_ was no better than _him_!"

Movement drew my eye away from Kenji and straight to a very frightened looking Undyne. She froze as my eyes landed on her, going slightly green as her eyes flickered between us.

"Kenji, I don't think this is the time to-"

"Why can't you just let me help you? Why can't you just be normal?"

The air froze in my lungs as words jammed themselves in my throat. He'd brought it up before, his longing for a normal life, away from this city and away from our birthright, a place where nobody would know the meaning of the name Rhyden.

_He'd never asked me to be normal though._

His face twisted and he reached for me. "Wait, no I didn't-"

"I'm sorry. I'm going out for a bit, don't wait up."

I stormed past him and Undyne, ripping open the exit door and nearly flying down the stairs.

_I'll never be what he wants..._

  
Third person POV

Papyrus watched through a cracked eyelid as Eve dashed out of the lab, curiosity buzzing through his skull. He'd never seen the two fight, never even really seen them be aggressive towards one another. Even when Eve had been chasing Kenji in nothing but her underwear and proclaiming his end, there was a certain warmth to her words and joy in Kenji's breathless pleas that made the whole situation laughable.

"FUCK!" Kenji ripped his phone from his pocket, fingers flying over the front before he brought it to his ear. "Hey, no time, Eve took off. I need you to go after her, make sure she doesn't do anything... drastic. Thank you."

He cradles the phone for a moment before his attention turns back to the monsters in the room. "You can leave if ya want, I'm just not feeling it today. I'll go over the reports for the conference later, Undyne, so don't worry 'bout it." He waves his hand tiredly and takes the papers from Undyne.

_He's so... sad_

Undyne wants to reach out to him as he passes but stops short as he flinches away from her raised hand. She cringes back as he rushes past her and out the still open exit.

She looks to Papyrus as he stands and shrugs off his lab coat. "Well, ya heard the boss, looks like we get a day off."

"B-but what about K-K-Kenji? He-"

"-said that he wasn't feeling up to working today. I'm not about to pry into their lives 'dyne, Eve's made it very clear that it's not a smart idea. So let's just take the extra day off and catch up with everyone? Isn't Alphys always asking you to come by her work so she could show you off? Go see her and make her day."

At the mention of her fiance, the fish monster turned into a starry-eyed mess, blushing violet and stuttering about how that would certainly be a surprise.

Papyrus smiles fondly at his friend as she slips off her lab coat and gently takes her elbow and casting one last glance around the lab to make sure nothing needed immediate attention, before disappearing from the lab with Undyne in tow.

  
Kenji's POV

_FUCK! How could I have been so stupid? I shouldn't have said that I shouldn't have gotten mad!_

**But she broke your really expensive microscope...**

_BUT I SHOULDN'T HAVE ASKED HER TO BE NORMAL!_

I slammed open my door, deftly flicking away the tranq dart before it could even fully engage.

Twisting through the many traps and half-constructed gadgets that littered the floor, I made my way to the large pile of blankets that rested in my hammock bed.

_Maybe she'll come back, and won't be so angry. Maybe she'll forgive me, or-_

**or maybe she's finally tired of your shit and left.**

_NO, she promised, she promised she'd never do that._

**she never said she'll be back.**

_She did..._

**She hadn't**

_She didn't say anything as she ran out, and she always promised to come back, she always..._

**What if she didn't want to promise it this time?**

I force down the sob as it tried to rip its way from my chest. _No, she'll come back, she always comes back, even when she didn't promise, she always came back..._

~Flashback~

"Mama, when is Eve gonna come back with Uncle? I miss her." Mama was attaching a weird cuff thingy to my arm and frowning at a screen in the corner.

"When she's completed her tests to hi-our satisfaction."

"When's that?"

Her face twisted and she tightens the cuff sharply. "Enough questions, now hold out your other arm so I can administer the shot."

"Yes, mama."

"Stop calling me that."

~~~

It wasn't until hours later that Eve was pushed into our room, trembling and covered in blood, new and old. Her hands were wrapped in bandages and tears streaked through the blood that layered her cheeks.

"EVE! I'm so happy! Did you pass all your tests? Mama said that you had to before you could come back. I missed you." I reached out and wrapped my arms around her waist, my face planted into her stomach. She stiffened before gently draping her arms around my shoulders and curling around me.

"Yeah, finished them all, wanted to get back to you as soon as I could." Her voice sounded so rough, almost like she'd been screaming again, but I ignored it and squeezed her tighter.

"Mama said you might not come back."

She knelt before me, wrapped hands hovering over my face before she settled them, featherlight, against my cheeks. "I, can't promise I will always come back. But I will promise you that I will fight with every ounce of my soul to come back. When I leave you, it will never be goodbye, because I will always return, even if it's only in spirit." She pulled me to her chest and I could feel her soul thrumming with her resolve. "I love you, Kenji, never forget that. I will always protect you."

"I love you too."

Uncle came for her again the next morning holding a wet rag and a muzzle.

"I'll see you again, Kenji."

"I'll see you too."

It was four days before she came back, covered in healing gashes and blood that was not entirely her own.

She couldn't look at me for a week.

~End flashback~

Quiet voices filtered through my nest of blankets, pulling me from old memories as my brain registered the presence of others in the apartment. I ripped my way out and stumbled my way to the main room, swearing softly as I nearly triggered a particularly nasty paint bomb.

Eve stood by the kitchen entrance, speaking softly to Clove as he set a kettle on the stove and pulled some cups from a cupboard.

I vaulted over a couch and launched myself into Eve, burying my face into her back and trapping her arms in a fierce hug. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I don't want you to be normal, I was just so angry about the microscope and the tacos and I'm so sorry, please don't leave me..."

My rambling trailed off and I whimpered pitifully as she wiggled around in my hold and wrapped me in a hug.

"Hey now, I was never going to leave you, and I know you're sorry, I'm sorry I broke your microscope, and that I said I wouldn't make you tacos for anime night. I could've handled that so much better."

"But I was so mean and-"

"Shhh, I don't expect you to act like an adult Ken, you're only seventeen for god's sake. It's alright that you got angry, just talk to me next time, alright? It's not healthy to bottle it up like that."

"I wasn't though..." Even I can see how flimsy that lie is. I'd been so angry from the past four days, and not even really at her. But she was right there, and it seemed like a good idea to take it out on her.

"Mmhmm, Clove is making some tea, would you care for some?"

I finally released her but remained seated on the floor. "Yeah."

She smiles softly before asking Clove to grab another cup from the cupboard. "I think I found a new word for you today, Ken."

I perked up and stare at her intently as she rifles through her pockets and pulls out a crumpled piece of paper, handing it to me before turning back to her conversation with Clove.

Tacenda  
(n.) Things better left unsaid; matters to be passed over in silence.

_Very clever, sis, very clever indeed._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's really nice to get these chapters to you guys! And I'll be posting an extra chapter sometime around Thursday or Friday that is just kinda chill. 
> 
> Thanks for reading you guys!


	15. BONUS- Candy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve does what she wants... unless Sugar says no

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a bonus chapter that kinda smacked me in the face.

Eve POV

"Where the fuck is all my goddamn candy?" I mumbled, digging through the kitchen cabinets and scowling at the dust that was stirred up in my search.

"Wh' ya on te counte's?" Kenji slurred as he stumbled into the fridge, barely catching himself before he could hip-check a counter.

"Can't find any of my fucking suckers, or any sweets for that matter. Where the hell-?" I trailed off as Kenji started snoring slumped next to the coffeemaker, a mug dangling from one hand and the other cushioning his head. "Honestly Kenji, what am I gonna do with you?"

I hopped off the counter and padded to his side, taking the mug from his hand and setting it on the counter, before bending to lift him over my shoulder. He always seemed so light, a barely-there weight whenever I'd had to carry him like this.

"Everything alright there Miss Eve?" Clove looked over the book he was reading and motioned to the still snoring Kenji. I gave him a thumbs up and flopped Kenji onto one of the couches. "I'm gonna leave him out here, there's no way I'm going in his room again. God knows what that boy has in there."

Clove tossed me a fuzzy blanket for Kenji and I tucked it around him. "Do you know where all my candy went? I know I haven't been around lately, but it should still be in the cabinets."

Kenji cuddled into the blanket, smiling softly before continuing to snore like a lawnmower. "Mama had Cinnamon take it all, said somethin' about it rottin' your teeth." He shrugs and goes back to whatever he was reading.

I blinked slowly, trying to digest his words. "So, you're saying there is no candy, whatsoever, in the apartment? Am I hearing that clearly?" _He's lying, there has to be some left, maybe Kenji has some hidden away that I-_

"Kenji helped get rid of all of it, wasn't good for ya Miss Eve." Clove smiled softly over his book, ever so calm.

_Ok, I don't need candy, I can do this, I don't really need something to chew on, to keep me calm-_

"I'm going to murder all of you," I murmur lowly, standing and heading for the stairs. "Every last one of you, slowly, painfully, but first I'm going to the store and I'm going to get some sweets. If you try to stop me I will **h u r t  y o u**."

I stopped at the top of the stairs and stare down Clove as he slowly backs away, hands held up in a placating manner. "Alright, Miss Eve, I'm not gon' follow. Just, stay safe."

As I tugged on my shoes I started to regret my choice of apparel. The oversized tank top and baggy sweatpants left me feeling slightly vulnerable.

**_Where is your sense of dignity, hmmm? Going out looking like a street rat, you haven't even brushed your hair, I raised you better-_ **

_FUCK YOU I RAISED MY OWN DAMN SELF!_

I snatched one of Kenji's larger coats and started rifling through the pockets of the other ones. "C'mon c'mon, I know that bastard never cleans out his damn pockets, gotta be a few bucks here..."

I finally pulled a twenty out of an older labcoat and hooted in victory. "Fuck yeah, imma buy a shit-ton of candy with this!" I slipped open the wall and jumped into the stairwell, carefully replacing the wall before jogging down the nearly fifty flights of stairs.

_I'm the fucking adult, I should get a say in what I do or don't fucking do._

I missed the midnight runs I would take on the trails behind my house, and the sparring with Cinnamon after work every night. Of course, it was entirely possible with how I fared with Pepper, that both of those activities would lead to injury.

I had to take a moment at the bottom of the stairs to catch my breath. On my better days, I could sprint from the very top to the bottom and only die a little bit.

I pull the coat tighter and tug the collar until it covered the bottom half of my face. I was in better form but I wasn't going to be winning any fights, especially if it was with more than three people.

_Maybe I should've taken a phone? Kenji is going to be so pissed when he wakes up... Shit, I should've just grabbed the suckers from the lab, fuck I'm out here anyway, might as well get something._

The shops and buildings lining the street were all upscale and expensive as fuck, not really in my taste. No, my destination was a little shop nearly two blocks away.

The sun was shining against the glass and steel of the buildings and lighting up the streets below with a faint warm glow. Even at this early hour, the city was buzzing with life and people were going about with their lives.

A pair of bunny monsters walk past and a thought struck me; they didn't know me. Everyone one knew Kenji, the boy on top of the world, genius millionaire, the guy who fought alongside the monsters to get their rights, the person who took it upon himself to set up housing and everything for them.

_I was just a random nobody..._

A hysterical giggle slipped past my lips, earning odd glances from people passing by.

It was perfect really if nobody knew who I was to Kenji, then nobody could use me against him. It would be so easy to just slip away, disappear and never come back-

_But Papyrus knows, as well as Sans and Undyne, it would be so unfortunate if they were to-_

_**NO!** They weren't a danger, they're so nice, so innocent..._

My feet carried me to my destination as my thoughts swirled uneasily and soon I was standing in the warm sugar scented air of Bo's Sweets an Eats.

It was a cozy whitewashed cottage set back from the road and partially hidden by an overgrown garden, hell the building was hardly discernable under the creeping vines and blooming flowers.

Candies and confections sat behind display cases and graced shelves as a fat gray cat lounged on the register, watching me with glowing yellow eyes.

"Bo? You here?" I called, eyeing a stand of rock candy that glittered in the few rays of sunlight that leaked through the vine-covered windows.

"I'll be out in a minute! These cookies are bein' brats! Go ahead and grab the things ya want, I know yer eyein' the rockies, go ahead an' try'em, new recipe!"

Grinning softly I fish out a few smaller chunks of the jewel-toned candies and pop in a blue one. Immediately the sharp flavor of blueberries washes over my tongue followed by a cool tingling feeling.

"Woah." I murmur, crunching sharply on the quickly dissolving candy.

"Like it? I added a bit o' mint ta the batch, thought it might give it that lil' oomph it needed. Now c'mon, don't be shy, tell me what ya think." Bo watched with a smug smile as I reached for another piece.

Bo was perhaps the only person who never showed any fear around me. She was one of the few girls Sugar adopted into the family and she was known for her temper and ability to make anything sweet. God help anyone who tried her bread though.

"Tastes like shit, you should let me take the whole batch so I can throw it out, wouldn't want any of your customers to get sick cause of it." I grin and shove another piece past my lips, savoring it this time.

She scoffs and shoos the gray cat from its perch. "Riiight, just like you said the strawberry cremes were defective? Or the raspberry tarts? I know your game girlie, ya ain't gettin' nothin'!" She waves a wooden spoon at me and I can't help but chuckle softly.

"Damn, here I was hoping you hadn't caught on, too smart for me." I sigh tragically, giving her my best doe eyes.

Bo clucked her tongue and tapped the counter with her spoon. "Ya do realize Sugar already told me not to sell anything to ya? 'Course she only said candy, so if ya want any baked goodies, go right ahead."

I look over the cakes and frown. "Can't I just have a small bag of the rock candies? Sugar doesn't need to know." I give her a pleading look, already reaching for the tub of candy.

Her arm snaps forward and the spoon she was holding slaps against my hand with a painful thwap. "I said no, now get yer ass away from the rockies, or do I need to call Mama and have her send the boys to come an' get ya?"

I cradle my stinging hand and scowl at her smug smirk. "Fuck Bo, fine, do you have any fresh blueberries? I'm thinking Kenji might forgive me for leaving if I make him a pie for dessert."

Her smirk softened and she disappeared into the kitchen only to reappear with a small bucket of blueberries. "Just picked 'em yesterday! Give Kenny boy my love and a sharp pinch, he owes me twenty bucks and a new stand mixer."

"Why?"

"We had a bet, I said he'd blow up at least one thing in my kitchen, he said he'd be on his best behavior and wouldn't, an I won!"

I pondered that for a sec. "How did he blow it up?" How does he always manage to do that?

She shrugged and waved dismissively. "How does that boy do anythin'? Now get goin', He's gonna be worried if ya don't get home soon."

I tossed the twenty at her and headed back down the street. The foot traffic had picked up a bit and the sidewalks were slowly filling as I reached the Rhyden building. I kept my eyes peeled as I slipped around to the back, pausing when I spotted Kenji standing at the stairwell door.

He spotted me as I prepared to defend myself as he tackled me in a hug, nearly knocking the bucket of berries from my hand. "I WAS SO WORRIED! WHERE WERE YOU? WHY DID YOU LEAVE? WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP? DAMNIT I'M SO MAD AT YOU!" His arms tightened to the point my back gave startlingly loud pops.

I tapped his shoulder with my free hand. "Can't... Breathe... Here." I gasped out, struggling not to hurt him as I pushed him away. He loosened his hold but didn't let go, opting to instead to throwing me over his shoulder and starting up the stairs.

_I'm not made of fucking glass, I could fight Cinnamon right now and win... maybe_

I slump in his hold, arms dangling over his back with the bucket tapping against his hip with each step. "I'm sorry Ken, but I was going stir crazy and someone got rid of all the candy in the house."

"Couldn't you just've gotten the suckers in the lab?"

"Didn't think about it 'til I was already at the bottom of the stairs, seemed like a waste to not take a walk."

"Riiight."

Clove was waiting for us with the wall propped open and a small nod as Kenji carried me in, not releasing me until we got to the main room.

He plopped into his favorite chair and pulled me into his lap, wrapping around me as if I was a stuffed toy. "Don't leave without telling me, I got scared, you didn't even tell Clove where you were going." He buries his head into my shoulder and sniffles softly.

_Shit, he's crying, god why do I always end up hurting him? Gotta fix this..._

"Hey now, I just needed a break hon, I wasn't goin' anywhere. I got some fresh blueberries from Bo, want to help me make some pie for dessert tonight?"

He's still for a moment before nodding and letting me stand. His nose is a little red as he takes a quick swipe at his eyes. "Yeah sis, that sounds pretty awesome, you wanna help too, Clove?"

Clove looks over his book and shakes his head. "I'd rather not, you have fun though."

"Mkay, ON TO BAKING!

~Time skip~

"You can't put tomatoes in blueberry pie." I hiss as Kenji tries to dump chopped tomatoes into the cooling pie mix.

His face drops into a pout as he backs off and plops the tomatoes back onto the cutting board. "But it's a type of fruit, you can put apples and bananas in a pie, why not tomatoes?"

I blow a strand of hair out of my face and scrape pie dough off my arms. "They do make tomato pie, they just don't add it to other fruit pies."

Kenji nodded sagely and then proceeded to repeatedly poke me in the cheek. "We should try making a tomato pie then, or somethin' like that."

"Or you could stop poking me in the cheek."

"Nah, this is pretty entertaining."

"I'm going to bite you."

He chuckles but pulls his finger away. "Ok ok, I've seen what happens, I'll leave ya be."

I bobbed my head and went back to kneading the dough. "Thank you, now how about-" I paused and side-eyed Kenji. "What do you mean you've seen what happens? I've never actually bit anyone... that badly. Certainly not someone's finger."

He snickers and pops a blueberry and a chunk of tomato into his mouth, humming thoughtfully. "Not while you were awake."

It takes me a moment for it to click, and it just leaves me even more confused. "Have I bitten you? No? Who was it? Are they ok?"

His snickers turn to giggles and then to full-blown laughs. "Nah sis, you just, _rattled his bones_ , is all."

"What?"

"Yup, sure didn't tickle his funny bone, and I'm sure he's fine, I wouldn't tell you a _fibula_!"

It all clicks and I stare at him in horror. "Wait, I fucking BIT one of the bone brothers? When was this? Oh god, poor Sans, he's such a sweetie, I hope I didn't hurt him..." I trailed off as Kenji nearly collapses with his laughter. "I'M SO GLAD YOU FIND THIS AMUSING."

"N-no It's, heh, you didn't bite that little cutie, you bit Papyrus that day Clove dragged you in." He has to stop as another wave of giggles overtakes him.

"I... I bit Papyrus?"

"Yup, took his distal phalange right off, pretty traumatizing. I wonder if he can take an entire limb off, that'd be kinda useful..." He trails off and pops another blueberry into his mouth.

"And you're only informing me of this now, why?" My eye twitched as he shrugged and took another blueberry from the bowl.

_So you think this is funny huh? And ya wanna keep eating all these berries, well, let's have a little fun now, shall we?_

I roll the dough and place it into a bowl for later and slowly grab the bowl of pie mix. "I don't appreciate you keeping that a secret, Kenji."

He realized the danger too late and just stared at me wide-eyed as I stalked towards him. "H-hey now, we can t-talk about this and-CLOVE SAVE MEEE!"

I cackled and so began a one-sided food slaughter.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See y'all next Tuesday!


	16. Shopping and questions...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve tries and Papyrus is overprotective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO AGAIN! Here's another chapter for y'all!
> 
> Slight panic attack later on in chapter.

Eve's POV

"Why are you eating mustard on toast?"

Kenji jumped at my voice and stared guiltily at his half-eaten breakfast. "I was too lazy to go shopping this week and I keep forgetting to have someone drop groceries off, so this is what I could find-" He trailed off and went back to munching his disgusting toast.

_I swear to god I raised this boy better..._

"I'm taking Clove and we're going to get groceries, and before you start bitching about going, remember you have to work." I shot him a smug grin as his faced dropped.

"Fine, whatever, just grab the stuff for breakfast tacos."

I saluted him and padded back to my room to change into my usual attire, only to find it all replaced by dresses.

In nothing but **PASTEL. PINK.**

"KENJI!"

Glass shatters somewhere and the sound of feet thundering out of the apartment signaled Kenji's abrupt departure.

Clove peeked in at me, hair still dripping from his shower, and jerks his thumb to the exit. "What was that about?"

I scowl and slam the wardrobe closed. "Nothing I won't handle later. Get dressed, we're going grocery shopping. Would you mind if I borrowed a sweater?"

"You do realize its nearly ninety degrees out there, right?"

I scoff and motion for him to turn as I tug a pair of black skinny jeans from under my mattress and shimmy them one. "You know the heat doesn't affect me that badly, and I refuse to wear anything that shows my arms." I slip out of my nightshirt and replace it with my usual binder. "Plus it helps with my movement and concealing any possible weapons."

He hummed in amusement and tossed me his much too large gray turtleneck. "You women, all ya ever think about are clothes and weaponry, makes a man nervous when ya talk like that."

He chuckles nervously as I just blankly stare at him. "I prefer weapons over physical beings, weapons don't ask silly questions like, why are you covered in blood? Or, why is there a body in the bathtub? And my favorite, Where did you get that?"

I finger comb my hair as I push Clove out of my room and close the vault-like door. "C'mon, I don't wanna be at the store all day, I was planning on chili for dinner and that takes time."

"Mmmm, with cornbread too?"

"Fuck yes cornbread too, I'm not a barbarian!"

~Time skip~

_This was a mistake..._

Clove kept wandering off and bringing back random food items and toiletries we didn't need, tossing them into the cart before disappearing again.

"Where the fuck does he even find half this shit?" I hiss, annoyed at having to put back yet another box of purple taco shells.

I spot him turning down the baking aisle and move to follow, carefully maneuvering the nearly full cart around an elderly couple arguing about olive oil.

"Listen here you crotchety old bitch, this one was cold pressed and is completely organic, so obviously its the best." The man growls, waving around a dark green glass bottle.

The woman scoffs and is waving her own bottle. "I may be a bitch! But at least I'm not a stupid blind fool with no taste! My mama raised me on this oil, I'm not getting some fancy organic bullshit!" They continue their fight and I can't help but chuckle.

_They must really love each other to be so blunt and foul with one another._

I grab a bottle as I pass and smile at the squabbling couple, finally turning into the aisle, only to find it empty.

_Fuck... Might as well grab a few things while I'm here_

The spice rack has been looking dismal in the time I'd been away, so I started with that, grabbing all the basics and then a few more specialized spices as well.

It was while I was debating whether I should get smoked paprika or sweet paprika that I was ambushed...

...by Sans.

"HELLO HUMAN EVE! IT'S SO NICE TO SEE YOU! ARE YOU SHOPPING AS WELL?" His presence is so sudden that I didn't have time to think before I dropped and swept my leg out to knock him off his feet.

He saw it coming and jumped over my leg with his bright smile still intact. "WOWIE! YOU MOVE ALMOST AS FAST AS ALPHYS! DO YOU TRAIN A LOT?" He was nearly vibrating as he offered me a hand.

I blinked at him confusedly. "I just tried to knock you off your feet."

His grin dropped for a moment before returning with greater force. "I'M SURE YOU DIDN'T MEAN ANY HARM... right?" His eye lights shrink and he looks away, clearly troubled.

_Fuck not again, what the hell was it with this guy and being so fucking adorable?_

"You just startled me is all, I truly had no intention of harming you, I apologize." I push off the ground and offer my hand as a sign of peace.

He turns back and I could swear I saw a certain smugness in his smile before he clutched my hand and shook it hard, excitement returning to his eyes. "I ACCEPT YOUR APOLOGIES HUMAN EVE! ARE YOU GROCERY SHOPPING TOO?"

I nodded slowly and noticed that he had his own cart, filled with a variety of things, including what looked to be almost a dozen bottles of honey.

"Yes, it seems you are as well, may I ask why you seem to have so much honey?" Maybe he used it in his baking? It was a healthier alternative than sugar.

He tosses a disgusted look at the honey bottles. "IT'S PAPYRUS'S PREFERRED DRINK, TRULY DISGUSTING. I WISH HE WOULD EAT BETTER, BUT HE'S WORKING SO HARD LATELY SO I THOUGHT I'D TREAT HIM!"

I nod, turning away and grabbing a bag of sugar. "I see, how kind of you." I glanced at him, noticing how he blushed a light blue at the compliment.

_How cute_

"HUMAN KENJI MENTIONED YOU WERE OLDER, BUT YOU'RE ALSO MUCH SMALLER THAN HIM!"

My eye twitched and I forced a polite smile. "It's common for females to be smaller than their male siblings, or in general. And yes, I am older than him by a few years."

His brow-bones furrowed and my curiosity was peaked at how expressive his skull seemed to be. "BUT WHY ARE YOU SO SMALL, SURELY YOU SHOULD BE CLOSER TO HIS HEIGHT?"

_Not going there_

I offer a shrug. "It is the way it is," and I could say the same for you, "Now if you will excuse me, I must find my shopping companion so we can leave." I turn away, only to have him grab onto my elbow and look at me pleadingly. "MAY I HAVE SOME ASSISTANCE FIRST? HUMAN KENJI HAS INFORMED THAT THERE IS COMPLETELY EDIBLE GLITTER, but I can't seem to find it anywhere and the employees won't help me."

His voice was so soft and sad. "Oh, of course, I happen to know where the glitter is." I pat his arm carefully and gesture further down the aisle to the cake decorating area. "I used to buy it for Kenji when he felt the need to beautify his meals. Why the sudden change from the one you used before?"

His blush is back as he scans over the wide variety of decorations. "PAPYRUS TOLD ME THAT NTT BRAND MOSTLY EDIBLE GLITTER IS NOT GOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION, AND I-" He trailed off as he cheeks flushed an even darker blue, "I want to make the most spectacular friendship tacos for you and Mister Kenji..."

_Shit_

He was smiling so genuinely, and I wanted more than anything to accept his friendship, but it wasn't worth the risk...

_Turn him down, there is nothing to be gained here_

"I'm afraid I can't accept your generous offer." I have to turn away as his face falls and my soul twists with guilt. "It has nothing to do with you being a monster, I think you are an amazing person overall, but you should speak with Papyrus. Please accept my apologies, but it's just not possible for us to be friends."

I hurry away before he could gather himself, spying Clove watching me from the end of the aisle. "Miss Eve, are-"

"Let's go, I have everything I came for."

"Alright."

  
Third person POV

"-so then I looked at her and starting chugging the entire bottle of the sauce, didn't even throw-up!" Kenji stated proudly as he sorted through a random pile of papers he and Papyrus had been trying to file all day. "Can't stand Tobasco now, even the tiniest hint of it in my food makes me wanna hurl."

Stars, this kid is hilarious, Papyrus thought with a chuckle, passing him a few papers from his pile. "That's _To-basco_ buddy."

Kenji perked up, slamming a hand down and grinning widely. "Don't you go getting _saucy_ with me!"

"What? my puns to _spicy_ for you?"

"Nuh-uh, I'm too _chili_ for you to ruffle."

"I don't think so, I can see you getting _hot_ under the collar," Papyrus smirked, he was going to win this.

"Ah fuck, yeah you beat me, I WILL WIN NEXT TIME!"

Papyrus shook his head and grinned lazily. "Whatever you say, buddy, haven't won yet though."

They worked on in companionable silence until Papyrus's phone started blaring It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time.

Kenji glanced up from the paper in his hands as Papyrus fished it out of his pocket and brought it to his skull. "Hey Sans, what's-"

"SHE SAID WE COULDN'T BE FRIENDS!" Sans cried.

Papyrus shot up from his pile of papers, ignoring the worried look Kenji was aiming his way. "What do ya mean? Who said ya couldn't be friends?"

I'm going to find them and rip their soul apart, who the fuck do they think

"It was Miss Eve..." Came Sans timid reply, followed by a few sniffles.

Of course

"Did she tell ya why?" He ground out, glaring at Kenji out of the corner of his socket.

Sniff. "She said I should ask you why, did I do something wrong papy?" I'm going to kill her.

"No Sans, we'll talk when I get home, have a movie night if ya want? I'll even pick up some snacks on the way home."

A pause, "I'd like that."

Papyrus sighed, "Ok, I'll be home in a bit, just gotta get a few things done first, 'bye bro."

"Goodbye, papy." Click

  
Papyrus's POV

I lowered the phone and stared at the screen. She went too far, was it really too much trouble to be his friend? I felt Kenji's eyes on me and turned to him, smile stiff. "Alright, I want some fucking answers."

His curious gaze was replaced with wariness as he rose from the floor. "Don't we all, It is why I decided on a profession in the sciences, answers are nice." He chuckled nervously, eyes darting around the lab.

_He's stalling_

"I just got a call from Sans saying Eve refused to be his friend, he's fucking crushed!" _Stars I need a smoke._ "What the hell is up with you guys? Your sister keeps threatening me and you act like nothing is wrong! She came in here injured and you acted like it was normal. She almost attacked Undyne and you just brush it off. You can't even go within ten feet of the fucking incinerator without panicking. I want some answers."

Kenji just stands there, arms crossed over themselves defensively and expression uneasy. "What answers? There are so many to choose from after all." Another chuckle, this one weak and slightly panicked.

"How about why she won't be Sans's friend."

He nods, bringing a hand up and tugging at his hair. "She's trying to protect him, and don't give me that look, she is. She's always protecting others, protecting me, It's almost ridiculous." His laugh was humorless as he refuses to meet my gaze. "She's told you to stay away right? To mind your own business? She just wants to protect you."

"From what? What is she so hellbent on protecting us from that she would crush my bros feeling to protect him? Mind telling me that?"

_I got him now._

The hand in his hair tightens and pain flickers across his face. "I-I can't tell you, I don't want you in this, I should've just stayed quiet, I didn't need assistants, I've been working on my own long enough. No, I don't want you hurt, please I can't-" His voice warbles before he suddenly seems to shrink into himself, gasping for breath and shaking like a leaf.

The anger that burned through my soul was gone in an instant. He was just a kid, fuck, I fucked up, I shouldn't have taken this out on him.

"Hey, kid, It's fine, you don't gotta tell me anything." I grab his shoulders and guide him to a chair, gently pushing him down and extracting his hand from his hair. "Hey now, listen to my voice, you're ok, you're safe, we're all safe, just breathe with me kid."

"I don't want to lose anyone else..."

"You won't, It's ok, just breathe, just breathe."

He sucked in a couple more breaths before looking at me. "Talk to Eve, she's the one who has the answers, just," he looked away and shuddered. "Just don't get mad, she hates it when people are mad at her, it makes her anxious."

"Alright kid, do you wanna-"

"Just go home for the night, I'll get these papers cleaned up."

_I should insist on helping, fuck I sent this kid into a panic attack, it's the least I can-_ "Yeah, I'll head on home, see ya later kid."

"Yeah, later."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So happy I could get this out on time!


	17. BONUS- Halloween Party!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to party!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually didn't plan to do anything for Halloween, but I ran into some writers block and decided some fun was in order.
> 
> Not really canon to the story.
> 
> HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Eve's POV

"What fresh hell have I awoken to?" I mutter, debating whether or not I should just go back to bed and skip today. "Really, what the fuck are you two doing?" _It's too fucking early for this bullshit._

Kenji was surrounded by shimmering cloth and makeup, Mace knelt next to him sorting through the rainbow chaos. "SIS HEY! GUESS WHAT DAY IT IS?" _Fuck your loud ass voice._ "IT'S HALLOWEEN!"

_Fuck_

"You don't say." I murmur, inching back towards the safety of my room. "I'll leave you to it then, just gonna-"

"GRAB HER!"

**_FUCK!_ **

I wheeled around and hopped over Mace as she dove for my legs, taking a sharp left as Clove appears from my room and makes a grab for me.

Gotta get to the bathroom, Kenji's room as last resort...

I feinted towards Kenji, taking him by surprise and making him stumble into Mace, and then darting into the bathroom, fumbling for a moment to turn the lock. "Crazy ass bastards think they can catch me-"

"Hey there."

I will never admit to the noise that came out of my mouth just then.

I crumpled against the door and muffled a whine into my hands. "Hey Cin, lovely meeting you here, anything I can give you not to take me out there?"

Cinnamon squatted to my height and tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Did you ever consider my offer of teaching Kenji how to fight?"

I scoffed and raised my arms in defeat. "Alright, throw me to the wolves Cin."

He chuckled at my easy defeat and hefted me over his shoulder. "Knew that'd get ya. No reason for ya ta be runnin' Evie, ain't gonna make you wear a dress this time. Hell, Kennie boy made your costume real fitting." He chuckled again and carried me out into the main room.

Kenji cheered around a mouth full of pins and Mace just looked smug. "Good job pops, probably wouldn't have caught her without ya."

Kenji nodded and went back to adjusting Mace's costume; a white suit with black pinstripes, matched with a white fedora and a red ribbon. The color made her skin glow with warmth and the red accents shimmer like live flames.

I cocked a brow as she tipped her fedora my way. "Seems the look Kenji wants us to stick with is the 20's, and we get to be the gangsters."

_It certainly explained the suit, but not the myriad of colors that still littered the floor._

Cinnamon plopped me next to Kenji and patted my hair, dodging as I swung for his side. "No dresses for you, Evie girl, you get a suit like my baby here." He tapped Maces nose as she swats at him. "Gonna look fly in your suit."

"Right..." I drawled, eyeing Kenji as he takes the last pin out of Mace's suit and pats away invisible dust.

"Do you doubt me, sis? I'm hurt!" He lifts a garment bag from the piles of fabrics and shoves it into my arms. "Now go put this on while I work on Cinnamon's outfit."

~Time skip~

_Ok, Kenji did fantastically, this time_

The suit was the perfect opposite to Mace's own. A pitch black suit with perfect white pinstripes and vibrant green details. It came with a matching fedora and a set of black leather gloves.

"Lookin' real snazzy sis." _I really need to start closing my door._

"Thank you, It looks..."

I trailed off as I turned to the doorway, expecting to see Kenji in his own suit.

_What the fuck_

A 1920's inspired flapper dress clung to his tall frame and rested high on his legs, which were covered in black glittery thigh highs. He draped himself against the doorway and fluttered his eyelashes at me. "See something you like, darlin'?"

_Breathe Eve, just breathe, maybe it's all a nightmare, this is all just one big, traumatizing, nightmare..._

I drew in a choked breath and pushed past Kenji, making a bee-line for the liqueur cabinet. "I need booze, really strong fucking booze."

Clove was lounging against the fridge as I stalked past, raising a brow in question as I grab a bottle of whiskey and took a swig. "Lil' early ta be drinking, ain't it Miss Eve?"

"My 17-year-old brother is in a mini-dress and showing way too much leg, I think this is the perfect time for a drink." To punctuate the statement I took another long swig from the bottle.

"Guess ya haven't seen Cinnamon yet then?"

"You all drive me to drink."

Cinnamon took that as his cue to make an entrance and sashayed into the kitchen, wearing the same dress as Kenji, but in a scarlet color. "Look out, one smokin' hot piece of ass, coming through!"

"I hate you all..."

  
Third person POV

"Bro, there's no need ta be so worked up, just an office party." Papyrus yawned from his vantage point on the couch, watching as his brother rushed from the kitchen to his room and then back. "Not like it's a super important gala or anythin'."

Sans huffed as he packed the last of his tacos into Tupperware. "I AM AWARE OF THAT! I AM JUST TRYING TO WIN OVER THE HUMAN EVE. She seems like she needs a friend as MAGNIFICENT as me."

Papyrus just sighed, not wanting to have this fight with him again. "You are the coolest bro."

"OF COURSE I AM, NOW GO PUT ON YOUR COSTUME!"

~Time skip~

The lab was a Halloween wonderland when Papyrus arrived with Sans, Undyne, and Alphys in tow, clutching his arms as he stepped from the void into the dimly lit lab.

Desks had been pushed to the side and a few were lined near the exit door, already filled with spooky snacks and terrifying treats. Thick gossamer webs from the beams overhead and the few lights that remained on cast eerie shadows along the tiled floor as fog rolled along the tiled floors.

"Those punks know how to set up a party, now where the hell are they?" Alphys grumbled, pulling Undyne along as she went to check out the buffet.

Sans was inspecting the webs and trying to find the source of the gathering fog, exclaiming to Papyrus to help him find it, but Papyrus's attention was drawn elsewhere.

It had started out small, the feeling that he was being watched, but it had steadily grown as the others explored the transformed lab.

He'd searched the shadows, but it turned up nothing. It wasn't until he caught a flash of white that his gaze went to the rafters.

Eve had a leg dangling over the edge of a beam, eyes on him as she slipped from the rafter and was swallowed by the fog below.

Papyrus would have been impressed by her stealth if she hadn't looked so goddamn creepy as she had watched him. His attention was diverted again as the exit door was thrown open and Kenji came sauntering in, dressed to the nines in his flapper regalia.

His shoulder length hair had been carefully curled and a sequined band had been placed over it to keep it in place. His makeup was just as flawless and if they hadn't known his true gender they might have thought he was an exceptionally tall female.

"WELCOME! I'm so glad you guys could make it, brought some of my own family too. So yeah, HAPPY HALLOWEEN LETS GET SMASHED!"

"You are underage." Kenji shrieked, falling on his ass as Eve stepped out of the fog with a disapproving frown. "So there will be no 'getting smashed' for you."

Kenji pouted, not exactly proud of the very feminine sound he'd just made and the fact he was still on his ass. "Yeah yeah, I wasn't _actually_ gonna drink anything."

Eve turned to the monster and motioned towards the buffet. "Welcome, eat, drink, and dance til you drop." She nodded to everyone before disappearing back into the fog.

And so the party began.

Eve sat in the rafters once more, watching as Sans ran to help Kenji stand, pulling him away from the door so Mace and Cinnamon, along with a few more of their clan, could trail into the lab. It was awkward at first, as is any occasion where people are meeting for the first time, but that melted into a warm sort of fun.

Alphys and Cinnamon were flexing at each other and loudly proclaiming how much they each could lift, both already tipsy and having fun while Clove tsked at them and taped the whole thing.

Kenji and a group of girls, all in 20's period costume, were fawning over Sans suit of armor, which the younger skeleton seemed to love.

Undyne was talking quietly with Mace as she called out encouragements to her dad, laughing softly when the pair started challenging each other to see who could do the most push-ups.

Only Papyrus seemed to be alone.

Eve frowned as she eyed the larger skeleton monster, noting that his costume consisted of a tuxedo shirt and a neon orange tutu over dark blue jeans. He was leaning near the drink table and just watching everyone else.

_Seems he's not one for parties._

Papyrus kept an eye on Eve, watching as she easily crept along the beams and watched everyone one else party. The way she moved made him think of the cat that liked to sneak around the apartments, smooth as a dancer with just an edge of something dangerous.

Kenji called her name, distracting her from Papyrus, and then proceeded to chuck a bottle of whiskey at her.

Papyrus was ready to catch the bottle with his magic but watched in stunned silence as she leaped from the beam and snatched the bottle from midair, carefully tucking it to her chest as she rolled into her landing, popping up at the end and bowing to the watching crowd.

Everyone cheered and swarmed her, praising her landing and asking if she could do it again.

"You were worried," Kenji stated, sidling up to Papyrus and jabbing his shoulder playfully.

Papyrus huffed and refused to meet the teen's gaze. "And yer wearin' heels, that's a bit of a fall, she could've been hurt."

Kenji shrugged and slowly inched towards the drinks. "She's jumped from higher and survived, she's also been sober and broken her nose from just rolling out of bed." He shrugged again, smiling at the way his sister blushed as she was complimented.

Papyrus noted that Kenji was trying to steal one of the champagne flutes but kept his gaze on Eve. "She's not sober?"

Kenji smirked and snatched a flute. "Eh, mostly, she only had half a bottle of whiskey before Cinnamon could take it away, so she should still be ok, maybe a little tipsy."

Papyrus's sockets widened as he tried to rationalize that. "Heh, that's uh, that seems like a lot for a girl her size, you sure you aren't over-exaggerating that?"

Kenji downed the glass and placed it back on the table. "Nah man, she has a crazy high tolerance for everything, I've seen her drink Cinnamon and Clove under the table before, It was legendary." He sighed, patting Papyrus's arm as he moved past. "Nice costume, by the way, love the tutu, very masculine."

"Says the boy who's in heels and make-up."

Kenji scoffed in mock offense. "I _OWN_ this shit."

Papyrus watched in amusement as Kenji flounced into his sister's arms, pretending to swoon and exclaiming what a 'handsome gent' she made, causing her to flush darker and bring the bottle to her lips in an attempt to hide her burning face.

The party went on into the early morning hours as games were played, bets won and lost, and everything was memorialized in the countless selfies and group pictures that Kenji kept instigating.

All the while Papyrus watched on, feeling a sense of peace as his brother and friends had the time of their lives.

He was happy and it didn't go unnoticed by the other monsters that his smile was, for once, completely genuine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all have a fantastic Halloween and a shit ton of candy!


	18. Three questions...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve does her thing and Papyrus regrets some of his decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo guys, here's another chapter fueled by caffeine and music!
> 
> Some warnings for ya-
> 
> Slight discussion of past injuries and scars  
> Mention of self-harm  
> Puking  
> Mention of dissociation
> 
> If there's anything I missed go on and tell me!

Kenji's POV

_I don't really want to move..._

_God, I hate feeling like this! Just gotta get moving, it'll make everything better, just gotta move..._

"Gotta get the papers sorted, c'mon, s'not that hard, just gotta get moving."

I hefted myself from the chair, sighing in defeat as I took in the twin mountains of paper. _This was so much easier when there was two of us..._

~Time skip~

Several hours and three paper-cuts later all the papers had been sorted into their respective boxes and each had been carefully labeled and set aside to be moved to storage tomorrow.

_If Papyrus even wanted to continue working here..._

_And there goes my mood. Eve should be home by now, making dinner maybe, shit I gotta talk to her about Papyrus._

_It was bound to happen, really hope she won't be too hard on him..._

I sighed as I set the last of the boxes next to the exit, ready and waiting to be put away in the basement.

A quick scan of the lab showed that everything was safe to leave alone for the night and nothing dangerous had been left out.

_Good, time to head home_

Eve's POV

"Are ya sure you're alright Miss Eve, ya seem-"

I slammed my knife down and snarled at Clove. "I'm just fucking **PEACHY!** Now get the fuck outta my kitchen before I cut you." I grab my knife and send him a sharp glare, entirely done with his prying.

He backs away, eyeing the knife and snatching an apple out of the bowl at my side on his way out. "Alright, I'll leave ya be Miss Eve. Just shout if ya need anythin'."

I scowl and go back to slicing apples for the tart. _Today is shit, fucking shoulda just had Sugar send someone with groceries, could've avoided all this bullshit!_

Kenji slid into my field of vision and I pushed away the annoyance and anger, he didn't need to worry about it, _I could deal with this_. "Hey Ken, how was work?"

He leans against the counter next to me and swipes an apple from my pile. "It was..." He hesitates, picking at the apple with his thumb. "Sans called, and Papyrus started getting angry..."

Dread churns in the pit of my stomach as I simply stare at the apples left to be cut, knife hovering over an already halved apple. "And?"

"He wanted answers and I couldn't, I-I-I p-panicked and h-he wants t-to talk to you. I'm s-sorry I should've-" _So much for me keeping him outta this._

His words were cut off as I pulled his face down into my shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong, Ken, It's ok, I can deal with this. Give me his number and I'll set up a meeting after I finish dinner."

He pulled away and snatched an apple slice. "Alright, do you need me-"

"I can deal with him on my own. Hand me the cinnamon and brown sugar, Clove put them on the top shelf again."

  
Third person POV

**12:24 a.m. Unknown**

**You wanted answers, Be at the flower shop in twenty minutes. Come alone and I will be amicable.**

Papyrus read over the message again, pulling his cigarettes from his pocket and tapping one out before placing it between his teeth.

**12:57 a.m.**

_Little miss proper is late, of course..._

This was starting to feel more and more like a trap as each minute ticked by.

A spark of magic and his cigarette flared to life before dying down to a soothing cherry red, gray smoke curling away from the tip and disappearing into the cool night air. "C'mon kid, starting to hurt my feelings here, leaving me all lonesome."

"Wouldn't want that now would we?"

His magic flared in alarm, causing him to send a wave of bones at the speakers feet.

Eve easily dodged the attack and gave him a thoughtful look. "Interesting, I'm not late at all, I merely told you to be here within a certain range of time, not at all mentioning when I would be here." She motioned for him to step into the shop. "And since you came on your own, I will treat you as amicably as I am able to, for the moment."

She kept her eyes on him as he ground out the cigarette and stepped into the shop. She slipped in after and locked the door before sidestepping past him and heading for the dim glow of the back room. "Watch your step, if you crush any of my flowers I will not hesitate to break your arms."

Papyrus scoffed but carefully followed after her, keeping his arms tucked to his sides. "Any reason why you wanted to meet in the backroom of a closed shop at nearly one in the mornin'?"

"You had questions and I so happen to have the answers," she motioned for him to enter the room, shutting the door behind them. "And Kenji asked me to speak with you as soon as I could, this seemed like an opportune time."

The room seemed too large for the small shop, containing a kitchenette, a faded purple couch with matching chairs that flanked a wide glass coffee table, and another door that led somewhere unknown. "Nice little place you have here kid, little much for a flower shop though."

She shrugged as he flopped into a chair and made her way towards the kitchenette. "It serves its purpose, would you like some coffee or tea?"

 _Little late to be nice._ "I'd like ta know your reasoning for hurting my bro."

She sighed as she took the opposite chair with a steaming mug in her hands. "Why does anyone do anything? Such an infinite number of reasons for the decisions we make; love, loyalty, money, fear..." She trailed off with another sigh, staring into her mug sadly. "Mine is more a matter of business."

"How does this involve Sans?"

She cocked her head thoughtfully. _Perhaps he missed the point..._ "It shouldn't, is what i'm trying to say. If you would be so kind as to inform him of this, all will be well."

Papyrus ground his teeth in frustration, this wasn't going anywhere and it was only working to weigh on his patience. "I want to know why, and not that bullshit excuse that you're protecting him."

"It's the truth, I'm protecting him by limiting the time he is near me, hence lengthening his lifespan. Honestly, where does Kenji find his assistants nowadays? So mistrusting."

He wanted to smash her face in.

"You've done nothing to earn my trust."

"Haven't I? I brought your brother home safely when he was lost, twice, when in all actuality I could have killed him. Now tell me, when have I ever proven to you that I am not trustworthy? And why should trust be any part of this? If you so clearly distrust me, then why not just take my words at face-value and keep your brother away, unless you have some ulterior motive?"

Eve smirked, satisfied with the orange tinge that his bones had taken on. _There it is, the real root of the issue._

"That's it, you have another motive. I'm thinking it must be curiosity, I'm not entirely sure of what form, but there are very few options besides that. This isn't just about your brother and his safety, it's about something more, care to share what has you so curious that you'd answer a text in the middle of the night from a person you don't trust?"

"This isn't about me-"

"Oh no, I think it really is. Sure, you want to know why I won't befriend your brother, but you want more than that. Probably have since Kenji patched me up." She taps her nails against the mug in her hands, bringing it to her mouth to hide her smile. "For someone with no nose, you sure are a nosey bastard."

Papyrus scoffed, fighting the magic that tingled across his bones in shame. He was curious, had been from the first time he'd met Kenji, Eve just stoked the flame, not that he was going to let her know that. "Dropping the prim and proper act huh?"

"Your diversionary tactics are poor and wouldn't fool a child. Here's how this is going to happen, I'll give you three questions, which I will answer as best and as honestly as I can, and I expect three questions as well, deal?"

Papyrus hated the sharp gleam her eyes had taken on, it made her already jewel-tone gaze sharper and more unnerving than it had already been, and it unnerved him. "Do I have a choice?" He sighed, rubbing a hand over tired sockets. "Cause it seems like I don't have a choice."

"Not if you want reliable answers, no."

Another tired sigh before he cushioned his jaw in his hands and stared Eve down. "Why do you have so many scars? I'm not just talking about the ones on your skin either."

He felt a bit of pride at the shock that flitted across her face, noting how her normally pale complexion flushed a soft pink.

"Hmmm, a lovely question that, with many answers too, bonus points." She downed the contents of her mug and set it on the table. "Here we go; most are from years of experimentation, many are from random fights, a good few are, honestly, self-inflicted." She wouldn't look at him as she admitted that. "A few more from harsh training sessions and the rest are from being tortured. Alright, next question?"

Eve stared expectantly at Papyrus, waiting for him to start firing questions, like any normal person might have, only to be met with empty sockets and gaping teeth.

_Shit, did I break him? Fuck, Kenji's gonna be pissed if I broke another of his assistants..._

"Alright, while you gather yourself, I'm going to grab another cup of coffee." _Is this a normal reaction? Maybe I told him too much? I did say I would answer with honesty. Should I poke him?_

He stayed completely still as Eve stood with her mug, not moving an inch as she waited for some sort of reaction. "Ya know, there really not as bad as they look, lot of 'em didn't even hurt that much, can't even remember where the rest came from-"

"I'm gonna be sick, I-" He lurched to his feet and swayed unsteadily, eye sockets still empty and a hand clamped over his teeth.

"The other door is a bathroom, don't barf on my floor." Eve barely finished before Papyrus slammed the door open and was praying to the porcelain gods.

"Oh man, didn't think you'd actually get sick..." She grabbed a cool glass of water and placed it next to his chair with a pack of crackers.

His retching echoed through the room and Eve winced in sympathy. Was he so disgusted that it made him sick? Understandable really, she had so many scars, it wasn't something you would call beautiful...

_NO! I AM FINE THE WAY I AM_

**_He's still puking..._ **

_FUCK OFF_

Papyrus staggered out of the bathroom looking even paler than he usually did. _I wonder how that happens?_

"You alright?" Eve watched as he slumped back into his seat and snatched up the glass of water. "You look paler than normal, do my scars bother you that much?"

His eye lights snapped to Eve, taking in the slightly uncomfortable way she tugged the already too long sweater sleeves over her gloved hands. "What?"

"My scars? Pretty sure that's what made ya lose your dinner to the porcelain throne in there." She jerked her thumb to the bathroom and chuckled weakly. "Never had that reaction before, I mean yeah, Clove did pass out, but nobodies hurled. Kinda surprised actually, they are pretty hideo-"

"How are you so calm about this?" His voice was so quiet as he cut her off, skull downturned as he studied the glass in his hands. "That's my second question, how are you so calm?"

She blinked at him and chuckled humorlessly. "Oh, I'm just used to it? I heal faster than others and that tends to lead to pretty ugly scars, even a paper-cut would leave a scar on me..." _Shit, he looks like he wants to puke again._ "Or did you mean something else?"

"The... the torture and experimentation, how can you just mention them so casually? How-" He cut himself off and took a shuddering breath, hand coming up to scrub over his face and mandible. "That is so-"

"Fucked up? Un-healthy? Weird?" Another humorless chuckle. "Yeah, I've heard them all. I'm pretty sure Kenji said it was something like dissociation? I just kinda shut down emotionally? It helps, It's really not healthy, but it helps." She shrugged and leveled him with an appraising look. "Looks like you haven't been privy to the darkest side of humanity, so here's a quick lesson for ya." She leaned forward and dropped her voice, a soft smile belying her next words. "No matter where you go if humans are there, then its a **kill** or be **killed** world."

He couldn't deal with this, but he had one more question, and he had to be careful how he worded it. "What makes you so dangerous that Sans can't be near you, let alone for you to reject his friendship?" _There, that should get a clear answer..._

She startled him by clapping her hands and beaming. "GOOD QUESTION!" She cleared her throat and stood, bowing her head and sweeping her arms wide. "It's a pleasure to meet you! My name is Eve Aureolin Rhyden," She leveled him with a feral smile and sparkling eyes.

"And I am the Head of the largest crime family in Ebott City!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed! See ya next Tuesday!


	19. No promises...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve's still an ass and poor Papyrus needs all the naps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wassup y'all? hope yer doin' good. 
> 
> I got a tumblr thingie! It's over here! 
> 
> https://ninathecrazy.tumblr.com/
> 
> So, I don't think there's any warnings I should put up? So merp, Enjoy!

Third person POV

Eve watched in satisfaction as Papyruses eyelights dimmed in shock.

_Guess he wasn't expecting that..._

"What?"

"Sorry, but it seems you've used your three questions." She snickered as his face fell further. "You shouldn't have wasted your second question. Now then, you have a couple choices here, not all of them are sane or safe, but you have a few."

She settled back into her seat and started counting them out on her hand. "The first one; you can take it all in stride, continue working for Kenji, completely forget we ever had this conversation, while also making an excuse to keep your brother and friends away from me. I rather like that option, keeps everyone safe."

"Ignorant..." He muttered bitterly.

"Ignorance is bliss. The second; you can **_try_** , and I put a lot of stress on that word, to turn me into the police, with little to no evidence whatsoever, which will end in you being a target of not only my family but others who want the information you may or may not have."

The air around her seemed to spark with energy. "The third; you could try to fight me, here and now. Take out what you may perceive as the main threat to you and yours, but I highly recommend you stick with the first option, or, just disappearing altogether, move to another city, change names, I won't judge."

Papyrus gritted his teeth, everything Eve had said so far weighed heavily on his mind and he wanted nothing more than to down a bottle of honey in the safety of his home. "Those are some pretty rough choices kid." He sighed, scraping a hand over the back of his skull. "Not like I would choose any besides the first anyways, not really interested in fighting ya either. Just, one more question?"

His tired eye-lights flickered to her, noting the almost disappointed look that flashed in her eyes.

Did she want to fight him? **_That's a little concerning..._**

Eve's own gaze trailed over his stooped form, taking in the dark marks that seemed to be carved into the bone under his eyes. His normally stooped posture seemed less forced, and the flat tone that his voice had taken on left him sounding hollow. "I suppose, but you'll now owe me four answers. Ask away."

"You promise yer not gonna hurt us?"

Not exactly what she was expecting, but not entirely unexpected.

She snickered and leveled him with her most comforting smile. "That'd be a bit redundant, wasting all those hours I put into helping you guys. Sure, Kenji was a great front-man, everybody loves him, he's really the greatest." Papyrus was thrown as her smiled softened further at the mention of Kenji. "But the kid's shit at paperwork, he had me set up to work with the lawyers and such, hashing out everything for you guys, even helped in the design of your living complexes, helped with camera layout and the security measures."

"Undyne thought the layout was genius, as well as the quality of the cameras." He murmured, recalling the way his friend had geeked out when shown the safety measures around the apartments.

"Eh, Kenji designed them. But no, I can't promise I won't hurt any of you." He immediately straightened, his gaze sharper as he glared at her. "There is a multitude of situations in which I would have to harm one of you to protect one of mine, but I will try to avoid such confrontations. Now, I have paperwork waiting for me, and I'm sure you'll need some sleep before coming to work tomorrow." She stood and gestured for him to do the same. "Lovely clearing the air with you, keep in mind what I've said, and have a great night."

He shuffled past her, regarding the exit before turning back to her. "I'll never trust you." He whispered, disappearing before she had a chance to process his words.

_Oh, well then_

"Not like I asked you to..." She tsked to the empty air as she made her way through the darkened shop. "Can't blame you though, don't exactly trust me either."

  
Kenji POV

_Why is everything so strained?_

It started the day after Eve said she'd talked to Papyrus, and it had steadily been growing. It was small things at first, Papyrus tensing whenever Eve walked into the lab, accidentally knocking things over when I came too near. He'd even started falling asleep more often, passing out at random times and screwing up experiments.

I tried chalking it up to Eve unnerving him, and since she wouldn't tell me what they had talked about, there was no way for me to know how to reassure him.

But then the week was up and Eve was gone again, off to check on her flowers and to see the state of the shop in general, and still, nothing changed.

If anything, things got worse.

Papyrus wouldn't joke with me anymore, and whenever I had to be near him he'd find some excuse to move away or just outright disappear and re-appear somewhere else in the lab. Undyne had started noticing it too and didn't have an answer for his behavior.

_It's starting to get on my nerve..._

"Did you take the bone away from the flame Papyrus?" I called, rifling through a box of equipment in search of a new pair of forceps, but received no answer from the skeleton and looked up in time to see the bone slowly cracking...

Dark cracks formed over the pristine white surface as the bone seemed to expand. _Bone shouldn't do that, if anything it should be... **SHIT**_

I dropped behind the desk I was at as the bone exploded in a flash of white and orange, sending sharp slivers shooting around the room and the smell of burnt sugar to waft through the air.

Papyrus shot up from where he'd fallen asleep behind another desk as Undyne rushed in, heading straight for me as I peeked hesitantly over the desk I'd used as cover. "K-Kenji! Are you alright? W-what happened?"

I smiled and gently patted her arm. "I'm alright, gone through bigger explosions than that. Papyruses bone attack seems to explode when in contact with prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures."

"Sorry boss, heat ta ruin an experiment, again..." Papyrus chuckled nervously, rubbing the sleep from his sockets, as I just stared at him blankly.

_Nope, nuh-uh, he's not getting away with this shit again..._

"Papyrus, would you mind taking Undyne home for the day and coming back? We need to talk." And I don't want to bring this up in front of her...

His shoulders drooped as the bone around his sockets tightened with worry. "Heh, yeah boss, I'll be right back." He grabbed Undyne before she could protest and disappeared, leaving me alone with the Bunsen burner still on.

The barely visible blue flame was obviously taunting me...

I kept an eye on the flame as I searched the lab for the bone shards, carefully collecting as many as I could before dumping them into a beaker for future testing.

_It wasn't testing magic on anyone, just testing the magic itself... yeah, that's ok, not hurting anybody._

Papyrus re-appeared, clicking off the Bunsen burner and fidgeting with the sleeves of his lab coat, the air around him smelling faintly of cigarette smoke and something sweet. "You wanted ta talk, boss?"

_Should I try to be subtle? Ok, start slow-_ **"What the hell?"**

_ THAT WAS NOT SLOW! _

_Oops?_

"What has gotten into you the last few days? I know you talked to Eve, and that all this shit started with that, but I don't know what the hell the two of you even talked about! And It's really starting to affect your work, you or Undyne could have been hurt today." I huffed quietly and propped myself against a desk, frowning at the skeleton. "I'm kinda disappointed."

_Ouch, had to pull that card huh? Poor guy..._

He slumps into a seat, resting his skull in his hands. "I'm sorry boss, just haven't been sleeping lately and, it..." He just trails off as his breathing slows and shoulders slump.

_Did... Did he just fall asleep? While we were talking?_

_Holy shit, wish I could do that! Could get me out of so many scoldings..._

I squatted next to him, gently shaking his shoulder and smiling as he blinked at me groggily. "Take a week off, go talk to her again if you need to, and don't give me that look, she really isn't all that scary. Maybe it'll help resolve whatever's gotten you so bothered."

Papyrus nods and wobbles to his feet, dragging a hand over his face as his jaw worked slowly, like he wanted to say something, before he just sighs and tosses his lab coat over the chair.

_He looks dead on his feet! Heh..._

_NICE ONE!_

"Yeah, see ya boss." And he was gone.

  
Eve's POV

Fridays tended to be the busiest days for the shop, what with all the people rushing to impress their dates in the hopes of future dates, or, ya know, to get laid.

Either or, it was keeping the shop busy and my temper high.

"No sir, we do not carry free-range blue daisies, I'm not even sure what you mean-"

He slams his hands on the counter and cuts me off. "Ya dumb bitch, I want to talk to your fucking manager!"

_Oh ho ho..._

I can see Sage giving the poor bastard a sympathetic look before turning back to her own customer with a practiced smile.

_Now would be a great time to be taller than 5"2'..._

"Well then, lucky for you that I happen to be not only the manager but the owner as well. Is there something I can help you with, sir?"

The man started turning an interesting shade of reddish purple before releasing a strangled screech and running out the store.

_Oh... Ok then_

Sage giggled as she rang up her last customer, bidding them a good day before turning to me and dissolving into more giggles. "Oh my Miss Eve, never seen you scare a man away so fast! Must be a new record."

I scowled and motioned for her to take over at the register. "Yeah yeah, I know, I'm super fucking scary. Watch the register while I rearrange the window displays and grab some more arrangments from the fridge. Yell if ya need me."

I started with grabbing the arrangements from the fridge, which was behind a sliding wall near the kitchenette.

I filled my arms with arrangements and deposited them in the front before going back to slide the wall back into place. "Make a note to order ten more Brassavola Orchid plants and 15 more potted miniature roses.."

Sage jotted down the order and tapped the pen against her teeth. "Any particular colors here? Venus or Sugar Baby?"

"Tell Shawn to surprise me, and also, If I find one more fake flower in my deliveries, I'm going to eviscerate him."

She nodded. "Would you like to send the order on the blue forms or the new pink forms? Nothing more threatening than pink cardstock."

I shot her a thumbs up and started arranging the flowers in the bins and picking away any wilted leaves that clung to the stalks. "How is the wedding planning for Alphys going? Are the arrangments already planned out? The corsages and boutineers? What about-"

"The wedding isn't for a couple more months miss Eve. But yes, all the flowers have been chosen and orders have been placed, we're good." Sage smiled patiently, handing me the broom and nodding to the roses. "Now get those leaves swept up before somebody slips on 'em, and don't forget to take off your pruning gloves and put 'em back before you leave."

We worked on in comfortable silence, each completing our tasks, before the roar of an engine cut through the usual noise of the city as an electric blue motorcycle parked itself in front of the shop.

The rider was surprisingly short as they swung off the motorcycle and stepped to the pavement, looking like they might only be a slight bit taller than me, until they took off their helmet to reveal a familiar skull.

_One week, I'd like one week without seeing one of the skeleton brothers..._

Sans secured the bike and stowed the helmet under his seat before storming to the door.

"Hey boss, he looks like he's thinking awfully hard, and not just about what kind of flowers he wants for his babe." Sage murmured, sidling up to me as I swept the last of the leaves into a neat pile.

"So it seems, this is gonna be interesting."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See y'all next week!


	20. Damnit Sans...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans is a shit who knows what hes doing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello hellooo~
> 
> Welcome back to my trash!
> 
> No warnings for this chapter!

Eve's POV

The bell chimed softly as Sans pushed his way into the shop, his concentration slipping briefly as he took in the myriad of colors and scents. His eyelights were blown wide, looking on the verge of turning into stars, before he wrenched his gaze from the flowers and focused on me.

"I NEED TO SPEAK WITH YOU, HUMAN."

I clicked my tongue and made my way back to the register, shooing Sage to the wrapping area while slipping the pruning gloves off and shoving them beneath the counter. "So it seems, why don't you speak normally then? None of your associates are here to hear and I certainly won't judge."

His brow furrowed as he looked to the side. "I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT HUMAN EVE, AS I AM SPEAKING AS I ALWAYS DO."

I stayed silent, keeping my gaze locked on his face as he began to fidget nervously, looking anywhere but at me. When it became apparent I wasn't going to say anything he sighed in defeat before squaring his shoulders and meeting my gaze, a scowl twisting his teeth oddly. "Fine, I'm not entirely certain how you saw past my ruse. You must be exceptionally smart."

I crossed my arms and smirked. "The way you act overall just kinda bugs me. It's very clever, the way you so easily charm and endear others to you, and I must commend you for your acting abilities, it's some of the best I've seen."

His teeth parted as he gaped at me, his cheeks flushing a soft blue.

Sage chuckled as she wiped the wrapping counter down with a damp rag. "Trying to get anything past her is nearly impossible, never play hide and seek with her either, dirty cheater." She grumbled, tossing the rag at me playfully.

"You're just a sore loser, now back to the matter at hand." I rapped my gloved hand on the register, drawing Sans gaze away from a now snickering Sage. "What brings you to my humble shop?"

"I want to know what you've said to Papyrus."

_These skeletons are so single-minded_

"I'm not sure what you mean, I've hardly spoken to him at all."

He crossed his arms as his scowl deepens. "He said he spoke to you and that I should rescind my offer of friendship. He then went through an entire pack of cigarettes and four bottles of honey."

Sage whistled lowly. "Don't know the fellow, but that seems like a lot, kinda like the time you went through 4 bags of suckers in one day because you had to-"

"Remind me of that day and you'll be buying my sweets for a month," I growl, glaring her way as she giggles and fishes her bag from beneath the counter.

"Alrighty Miss Eve, it seems like it's already time for me to head out, gonna head over to Cinnamons and help out around there."

"Give the girls my love, and tell Cinnamon to expect me this evening."

She patted Sans arm as she passed and flipped the wooden sign on the door, shooting me a final wave as she disappeared down the street.

I motioned for Sans to follow me into the back room, flipping off the main shop lights before walking over to the Kitchenette. "Would you like a drink? I have tea, coffee, and bottled water." I took a bottle of water for myself and a sucker, when he shook his head I took the chair opposite. "Well then, ask away."

Sans nodded, eye lights scanning the rest of the room before landing back onto me. "It is as I stated earlier, I want to know what you said to Papyrus that convinced him we can't be friends."

I tsk. "Nothing I said swayed your brother into disliking me. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but Papyrus seems to have an extreme dislike of humans in general. So I didn't have to say much for him to hate me, he just does so naturally."

His shoulders slumped and his mouth tilted down sadly. "I was hoping it would get better with time, but he can never seem to find good in any human."

I shrugged and took a sip of water. "Not like I can blame him, I have a hard time seeing the good in humans as well. I mean, have you met us? We are the epitome of trash, well, most of us anyways. I know a few who aren't trash..." I trailed off at the shocked look Sans was shooting me. "What?"

"YOU'RE NOT TRASH!" _Ok, maybe he does have volume issues._ "WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT?! EVERYONE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE GOOD AND KIND and is that why you won't be my friend? Because you think you're trash?"

His voice sounded so heartbroken as translucent blue tears dotted at his sockets. He was wringing his hands anxiously and was just staring at me like I might prove him wrong or try to defend myself.

"Eh, that's a part of it, but I'll tell you the same thing I told your brother; I won't be your friend because I want to protect you."

His brows knit together as he frowned. "Is that all?"

_What?_

He's immediately on his feet, hands on hips and bandanna flowing in an invisible breeze as he takes a superhero stance. "I AM AN OFFICIAL ROYAL GUARDSMAN! I CAN PROTECT MYSELF SO THERE IS NO REASON FOR YOU TO WORRY! MWEH HEH HEH!"

My eye twitched as he just stared at me with stars in his eyes, literal stars, while his bandanna kept fluttering on a non-existent wind.

_Don't laugh don't laugh don't laugh doN'T LAU-_

**Snrk!**

I slapped a hand over my mouth, eyes tearing up from the overwhelming pressure to laugh. _Oh shit, too cute, too innocent, how the fuck..._

"Oh, hon...no." The words came out strangled and I had to grit my teeth to keep the laughter at bay.

Sans visibly deflated, eyes shrinking back into their usual marble like shape. "Do you not believe me?"

_FUCK HE'S GONNA CRY AGAIN!_

I flipped my hands up in a placating manner, trying to breathe normally and quell the leftover giggles. "It's not that I don't believe you, but have you ever fought a human before? I know you have magic and all that, but have you tried hand-to-hand combat with one of us before?"

His silence was answer enough.

"See, I'm sorry but I just don't want to see you getting hurt from being near me, not to mention-"

"Then train me."

I blinked. "What now?"

He squared his shoulders, staring me down and towering over my still sitting form. "I want you to train me in hand-to-hand combat. I already have perfect control over my magic and I know the basics of fighting, such as blocking and dodging, but if you feel I am unable to protect myself then I would like you to train me until I reach your standards."

_What the hell..._

I stared at him, trying to find any sign of hesitance in his expression, slightly annoyed at the lack of traditional features. "You... You want me to train you? In physical combat? Why ask me? There are plenty of people in this city who could teach you how to-"

He waved away my words, slipping his phone from his pocket. "No, I want you to teach me, and from the way Kenji talks about you, I know you're strong. Besides, this is a great way to build a friendship!" He beamed at me before tapping something into his phone and shoving it back into his pocket.

Before I could try to reason with him and try to explain we were NOT going to be friends, he was already out of the back room and heading for the door. "I will message Kenji with my schedule and then we can figure out a time for my training!" He called cheerily as he dashed out of the shop, bell tinkling as he left.

I stared at the door blankly, idly noting that the Delilahs were looking a little wilted and would need to be replaced. "Wait, what?"

_He just... WHAT???_

"Well shit, he is one smooth little asshole." A smile stretched my face as I stepped out of the shop. "Whelp, never fought a monster before, this should be interesting, to say the least." I pulled the collar of my sweater over my chin, burying my face in the thick fabric while tying my hair back in a messy bun and hurrying to the Happy House.

The promise of strong liquor and good music was starting to sound like the perfect thing right now.

My phone chimed softly as I pulled it out to check for messages.

5:37 Ken (New Message)

YOU'LL TRAIN HIM BUT NOT ME?!?!?! (T~T)

_For fuck's sake Sans..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If ya want ta talk or anythin' here's my tumblr thing
> 
> https://ninathecrazy.tumblr.com/
> 
> Thanks for reading and I'll see y'all next week -u-


	21. Breakfast tacos...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve and Kenji fluff with a hint of not okayness...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya, I'm back once more to drop off a chapter before I disappear back into my hovel.
> 
> Warning:
> 
> Verbal abuse of a child in a small part

"TACOS! TACOS! TACOOOOOS~!" Kenji twirled past me and stole a slice of bacon before I had time to react. "I LOOOVE TACOOOOOS~!"

**Sigh**

"Did you get your room cleaned up? Cause you're not getting me in there if it's not. And make sure you grab all the other snacks too while you're at it."

"Oh yeah, I totally got all the..."

His sentence trails off as he looks back at his open doorway. "Wait no, did I get that last one dismantled? Shit, I'll be right back!"

I tsked softly and went back to crumbling the bacon into the egg mixture, listening in case he got caught in his own trap and I needed to help him out, again.

Anime night was a tradition started back when Kenji was 12 and had started insisting we have a day for just us, no work and no family. I'd readily agreed, and so it started, not always with anime at first, but there was always the constant of breakfast tacos.

"Ok, definitely got all the traps dismantled and I dug out my extra large hammock and its piled with all the fluffy blankets, I even lowered the temp so we wouldn't get too hot." He sweeps all the snacks I'd set on the counter into his arms and skipped back to his room.

_He's still so adorable after all these years..._

_God I sound like an old maid..._

I snorted and poured the eggs into the hot pan, flinching away from the little pops of grease as the eggs started bubbling. I cast a quick glance over the taco tray and ticked off the items as I passed over them.

_Tortillas, salsa, taco sauce, guacamole, tomatoes, grapes, che-_

"Why are there grapes on the taco tray? Ken? KEN?" A muffled thud follows my shout as Kenji rams into the door frame with his shoulder, followed by a graceful face-plant into the floor. "Nice landing," I teased, grabbing the bowl of grapes and setting them off to the side. "Why are there grapes on the taco tray?"

"mwant erm om mey foom..."

"Ah, no, if you want them as a snack then put them with the rest of the snacks. They are not going on the tacos though, got it?"

He shot me a thumbs up, face still firmly planted on the floor. "You gonna get up? Or are you just gonna lay there the whole night?"

He groaned and flopped onto his back. "But the floor is my best friend! Look how eager I was to hug it, with my face."

I turned back to the eggs and scraped them into a bowl while turning the stove off. "Then you and your best friend can stay out here all night while I snuggle in the hammock and eat all the tacos. Not to mention that I'll be watching the new season of-"

"SO CRUEL!"

I chuckled at him and grabbed the taco tray. "C'mon, grab the drinks and let's get this night started."

Third person POV  
~6 years earlier~

"Your training is going excellently dear. Now while I have your attention I need your input on these plans for construction on the new park downtown. And I wanted to see how your lessons have been-"

Sugar cleared her throat, satisfied with the way the annoying woman coward away from her. "Leave the girl be, how would ya like it if I hounded ya at all hours? How's that failing marriage of yours Maria? Hows the affair? Is Cassandra still not the-"

"ENOUGH!" Maria shrieked, charging at Sugar, only to have her wrist caught in an iron grip.

Eve watched impassively as her aunt struggled to free herself from the hold she had on her wrist. "I would prefer if you would not attack Miss Sugar, apologize."

"That's enough, Eve, release her."

Immediately she released the struggling woman, causing her to crash to the floor with a shout. "You fucking _FREAK_! You could have _HURT_ me! YOU'RE STILL A FUCKING MONSTER! IT'S ALL YOU'LL EVER BE! WE WOULD ALL BE BETTER OFF IF YOU JUST-"

Sugar snatched Maria up by her shirt collar, rage emanating from her in thick waves. "Say one more word an' you'll see a real monster, ya hear? Now get the fuck outta my sight, send all the papers to my office and someone else to talk to Eve, I don't want to see you near my girl again, is that clear?"

Maria nodded shakily, clawing at the hand that held her shirt in an attempt to get away. "Good, I want those papers by 8, don't disappoint me." With that said, she let go and Maria scrambled away from them and into the house.

"I'm sorry Miss Sugar, I lost control of my anger again." Eve knelt at Sugars feet, head hanging low as she wrung her gloved hands.

Sugar held a finger under her chin and tilted her face up, warm gaze finding the girls more fearful one. "It's alright baby girl, I'll forgive you if you forgive me, deal?" Eve bobbed her head, offering Sugar a minuscule smile. "That's my girl, now let's get to that cooking lesson, Kenji damn near gassed us out earlier. That boy fittin' to be a scientist."

Eve trailed after Sugar, eyes darting around the backyard as she looked for hidden dangers. "Is he doing well in his lessons? I have been occupied as of late and haven't seen him in some time."

Sugar frowned at the way the younger woman's shoulders nearly trembled with pent-up tension and the way her eyes darted around.

_No child should have the look of a cornered animal..._

Instead of voicing her concerns she cleared her throat and led Eve to the kitchen. "He's excelling in everything; I gave him ten books, all on a different subject, and he was able to read and understand all of the books in a month, it's amazing."

Sugar started pulling out ingredients and pans, not missing the adoring smile that crossed Eves face as they talked about Kenji. "He really is the most amazing person, so smart and caring and good." Eve sighed and looked over the ingredients Sugar was putting in front of her.

"Ya know," Sugar remarked, "yer pretty amazing too."

Eve ignored her, eyes boring into the eggs that sat to her right. "What are we making today?"

_One of these days she's gonna believe me..._

Sugar rested her hands on her hips and sighed. "Well, as it is, I have much to much work, so I need ya to take the reigns tonight and make dinner for us, using only these ingredients and it has to be savory, so no pancakes, waffles, or crepes."

Sugar gave her an encouraging smile and a small wave before disappearing deeper into the house.

_I... I am ill-prepared for this task..._

Eve looked at the various meats and vegetables with growing panic and started listing all the recipes she'd learned.

_Meatloaf? No, I don't see any oats or peppers..._

_Steak and potatoes? Ahhh but there are no potatoes and I don't see any vegetables that be good with steak..._

_... Did I only really learn sweets and breakfast foods?_

She scowled at the ingredients, trying to match up various components to make a decent dinner when something occurred to her.

Sugar never said she had to make dinner items, only that the food had to be savory.

She snatched up the eggs, breakfast sausage, bacon and...

There were no biscuits, no potatoes, not even flour to make a country gravy...

_We're all going to starve..._

"Whatcha doin' on the floor there, sis? Are you using all these things to make dinner? WOW! That's a lot of food! What are you making?"

Eve opened her arms as Kenji launched himself into her with a squeal. "Why don't you help me decide? It's kinda a puzzle. Miss Sugar said I had to make a savory dinner, but that I could only use the ingredients present. Got any ideas in that awesome mind of yours?"

Kenji lit up and quickly went over all the ingredients on the counter. "Ghoulash? There aren't any tomatoes. Burgers? No ground beef... I kinda want tacos actually. " He spun back to Eve and frowned. "Do you think we can convince Sugar to let us use ground beef? We have everything else for tacos, and it sounds so yummy."

She shrugged and checked the ingredients again, an idea slowly forming. "Hey, what about, breakfast tacos? We can mix together the bacon, eggs, and sausage to put in the tortillas. You put salsa on your eggs anyways and it would be working within the parameters of the challenge."

Kenji nodded, feigning an air of seriousness as he started gathering the ingredients for tacos. "Of course, no challenge is too great for my amazing big sis after all! Can I help make'em?"

She smiled fondly as he struggled to juggle several things at once and bobbed her head. "Why not? Lets put the rest of the food away and then we'll get started."

They worked together perfectly, moving around one another and effortlessly cleaning up the counters before getting to work on the tacos.

Eve watched closely as Kenji cracked the eggs into a large bowl, scooping out any shell bits that fell into it, and saw the way Kenji bit his lip nervously. "Whats wrong Ken?"

He dropped a shell in surprise and barely refrained from cursing. "It's uh, I have a question? If," He paused and looked away, afraid that she'd scoff at his idea like Aunt Maria did. "If you wouldn't mind, can we have a movie night? With just us I mean, no work or anything like that, If you want..." He trailed off and studied the egg in his hand, avoiding Eve's gaze.

Eve sighed and draped an arm around his shoulders. "That sounds like an amazing idea. How about tonight? We'll drop by Miss Sugars office and leave her a plate and then head to your room to watch some movies, sound good?"

Eve loved the way he lit up, the way his eyes sparkled and his cheeks flushed, it was everything she ever hoped to see. "WOW REALLY? I just got all these really cool movies that Sugar says are super popular! They're from Disney? I don't know what a Disney is, but they're all so colorful."

She chuckled and ruffled his hair, much to his annoyance. "Why don't you go get it all set up while I do dinner? If you finish before I'm done you can help me."

"Ok!" He was off like a bullet, streaking out of the kitchen and almost crashing into the doorway in his haste.

She turned back to finish cracking the eggs, flicking the excess goo from her gloves and memorizing the way he looked at her.

_No matter what, I'll make sure he's happy, starting with these tacos. Now, how the hell do I mix these things together?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bye bye guys, if ya want you can talk to me over on my tumblr thing!
> 
> https://ninathecrazy.tumblr.com/
> 
> See ya next week~


	22. Training...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Training START

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everyone! 
> 
> The only trigger might be the mention of scars?

Eve's POV

Kenji was rooting through my fridge as I finished tying my hair back in a braid. "Hey sis, can I eat the rest of this guacamole? I'm so hungry."

_When did I make guacamole?_

"Are you sure that's guacamole?" I plucked the container from his hand and read the label on the side.

**Vegetable soup**

Kenji gagged and slammed the fridge shut. "Never mind, I never want to eat again. How long has that been in there? When as the last time you cleaned the fridge out? You yell at me all the time for not-" ding-dong "-I'LL GET IT!"

I threw out the soup and ripped the wrapper off a sucker, popping it into my mouth with a delighted hum.

_Maybe I do need to clean up a bit, when I have the time that is..._

"HUMAN EVE! WE ARE HERE TO BE TRAINED!" We? Wait, no did he seriously-

"WHERE YA AT PUNK?" Are all monsters naturally loud, or is it just the annoying ones?

_It would be incredibly illegal to murder the smaller skeleton_

_I know that, shut it_

I step out of the kitchen and eye the steadily growing group that had begun to occupy my living room. "Kenji, Sans, what dd you do?"

Kenji immediately tried to duck behind Sans as he dragged in a snoring Papyrus by his hood, only looking mildly annoyed with his snoozing sibling. Sans smiled at me and gestured to the rest of the group with growing excitement. "ALPHYS IS CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD! I TOLD HER YOU WERE GOING TO TRAIN ME AND SHE INSISTED THAT SHE JOIN TO SEE WHAT HUMAN TRAINING LOOKS LIKE! UNDYNE AND PAPYRUS WANTED TO COME AND WATCH AS WELL."

 _I haven't had enough anything to deal with this right now._ "Ya know what? Fine. Follow me, don't touch anything and keep away from the back hall."

I led them through a set of French style glass doors that sat beside the kitchen and out into the backyard.

The house used to belong to an elderly couple who hated their neighbors but loved to garden, which led to an expansive backyard with both a fence and a small greenhouse.

"WHY DO YOU HAVE A GLASS HOME BEHIND YOUR REGULAR HOME?"

I waved for Kenji to answer as picked up some stray tools I'd left lying about and tossed them beside the greenhouse.

"It's not another home, it's a greenhouse!" He beamed at me as I dragged a couple mats from inside and set them out. "It's meant to help grow all sorts of plants! I've never actually been inside." He admitted sheepishly as he motions for Undyne and Alphys to sit on the mats. "So I'm not entirely sure what she grows in there..."

"Drugs," I mutter, crunching through the sucker as they turn to stare at me in varying degrees of horror. "lots and lots of drugs, and some of the rarer flowers for my shop."

Kenji clears his throat and starts trying to reassure everyone that I was definitely _NOT_ growing drugs and that hey shouldn't we be getting to the training already?

I shrugged again and waited for Sans to set his still sleeping brother on the mats. "Alright, you're both going to start by stretching and twenty laps around the yard, then we'll move on to basic blocking and dodging."

I settled next to Alphys as they started their stretched, goading each other and somehow making it into a competition about who could stretch better.

Alphys eyed me as I pulled out my phone. "I already taught him how to dodge and block, what the point of reteaching him that?" She griped, "It seems stupid."

I flicked my eyes to the boys as they started on their laps, frowning at the way they were pushing each other to go faster. "How did you teach him to block?"

Her brows furrow as she glares at me. "What do you mean how?"

"I'm going to assume that you taught him by throwing attacks at him, correct?" She nodded in affirmation. "Did you ever teach him hand to hand combat? Without magic? No? Then that's how I'm going to teach him how to block. Kenji is well versed in how to block and dodge humans, he stands a better chance in a fight without magic than Sans does."

A scoff comes from my left and I glance over to see Papyrus lazily watching his brother as he tried to race Kenji. "How come boss is here then? If he knows how to do the basics and all that."

Kenji is one lap ahead of Sans and it seemed to be aggravating the smaller male. "Sans is of a similar height to myself, it would help him to fight a taller opponent, and Kenji's only here because Sans told him I was going to train him." I scowl as Sans plows into Kenji and sends them both sprawling. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure when I agreed to train anyone. Kenji showed up this morning without warning and told me I would be training them today."

The pair laughed it off and finished their laps, coming to stand before me, looking expectant. I stood and grabbed their arms to lead them to the middle of the yard. "Alright, Kenji you're defensive, your goal is to not get hit and/or to block all his attacks." I turned to Sans, noting the way he nearly vibrated with energy. "You're on the offensive. Your goal is to hit Kenji."

I stepped away from them as Sans dropped into a fighting stance and Kenji pouted. "Two rules; Kenji, you're not allowed to hit Sans. Sans, you're not allowed to use magic to hit Kenji." They both nodded and grinned at each other.

"Good, begin."

Third person POV

Sans immediately launched himself at Kenji, or at least where Kenji had just been. Sans blinked in confusion while Kenji giggled off to the side.

"You need to be faster than that, Sans," Eve instructed, arms crossed behind her back and posture stiff.

Alphys was watching as Kenji kept evading Sans, astounded by the way he was able to twist and dodge the hyper-active skeleton. "COME ON SANS! I DIDN'T TRAIN YOU FOR NOTHING!"

Alphys encouragement seemed to give Sans the boost he needed as he finally landed a hit to Kenji's ribs.

Kenji took the blow in stride and became more cautious, watching Sans for cues as to what he would do next. "You're too open, try to keep your arms in closer."

Papyrus kept his gaze split between Eve and Kenji, not trusting the elder sibling to be impartial. But she never intervened when Kenji was hit, only pointing out the ways he'd slipped up and better ways to avoid the smaller skeleton while commending Sans on his victories.

It was when Kenji had been able to avoid being hit for nearly a half hour that things took an unexpected turn.

Sans was getting frustrated at the way the taller male always seemed to be just out of reach and it was in a moment of unthinking that he summoned a wave of bones to trip Kenji up.

And Kenji did indeed trip, almost impaling himself on the bones, but Eve grabbed him around the waist and yanked him to the side and out of harm's way.

Papyrus was on his feet in an instant, quickly followed by Alphys and Undyne, only to be waved off by Eve as she settled a shaken Kenji on the ground.

Sans was ashamed, never had he lost control like that, especially not during training! His eyelights shrank to little white dots in his sockets and he reached out to apologize.

They all watched with baited breath as Eve blocked Kenji from Sans sight, posture loose and face blank. "Since you couldn't follow one simple rule, you now have to fight me. I will be on the defensive and you will try to hit me." She paused and spread her arms. "You'll be permitted the use of your magic, if you can't manage to hit me within an hour, then I refuse to train you."

Papyrus wanted to intervene. There was no way in hell his little bro was going to fight her, not if he had a say.

"I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THE STIPULATION THAT IF I LAND A HIT ON YOU THAT YOU WILL ACCEPT MY FRIENDSHIP."

"Now wait a minute bro-"

"I accept those terms."

All heads swiveled to Eve as she slipped off her heavy sweater and handed it to Kenji, who was gaping as much as the rest of them. "The fact that you would be able to touch me at all would be a miracle, and a testament to your fighting skills." She shrugged and started on a set of stretches. "Take a break, I'll be ready in a few minutes."

Sans plopped onto the mat next to Alphys as she stared at Eve, or really, all the scars that were now on display.

"What the fuck... DUDE, YOU CAN'T FIGHT HER! DO YOU SEE ALL THOSE SCARS? HOLY SHI-"

Undyne gasped and slapped a hand over her fiance's mouth. " _ALPHYS!_ " She was mortified at the judgment and slight disgust that was in Alphys tone.

"I don't mind, they are quite unflattering and lend to an overall unfriendly appearance." Eve shrugged and continued stretching. "And I will not be fighting Sans, merely dodging him while he attempts to land a hit, there is very little chance he will be harmed."

Kenji dropped onto the mat a little ways away from the group, barely out of breath and curious about their intrigue with her scars. "Why is everybody so stuck up on her scars?" The monsters looked subtly uncomfortable with the question, shifting awkwardly and refusing to look at him.

Maybe I need to be a little more direct. "Ok, Alphys, how would you feel if I said your scars are gross? Not very good huh?"

The captain tried to defend herself, saying she got all her scars from defending others and from training, that it was different.

"And she didn't? I know where almost every scar came from, and I can say most of them are from protecting others. You have no right to judge her by appearance alone if you are not ready to be judged the same. So what that she doesn't have porcelain skin as smooth as a baby's butt! She still really beautiful and a super cuddler and yeah..." He was red-faced and out of breath by the end of his little rant. "Sorry, heh, got a little passionate there..."

Alphys looked properly chastised and Papyrus was watching him with an unreadable expression, a stolen sucker held between clenched teeth.

While Kenji had been defending Eve, she had gotten Sans attention and motioned him into position.

"Alright, let's begin."

Eve was nearly impossible to spot between the bones that erupted from the earth, Alphys and Undyne were immediately enraptured by the fight, but Papyrus was still watching Kenji.

The younger male was staring at the clouds listlessly as his breathing slowed and the sounds of the fight rumbled in the background. "Hey boss, ain'tcha gonna watch?"

Kenji shrugged. "Nah."

Papyrus eyed Eve as she flipped over a wall of bones and then rolled under another attack before popping back up. "Why not?"

He pushed himself into a sitting position, watching Eve. "See how with each step she's getting slightly closer, not enough to be immediately obvious, but enough that she'll eventually reach him? Her whole goal is to get close enough that he'll have to resort physical combat. It seems like she's purposely being slow to get him to use up his magic reserves." He sighed and dropped back to the mat with a dull thud. "Sans will lose and there will be no more training sessions and no friendship."

Now that he had pointed it out Papyrus saw it, and he felt a twinge of something in his soul for Kenji. He obviously wanted to be friends with them as much Sans did, but he had to agree with Eve's decision.

_I really need a smoke right now..._

~Time skip~

Fifty minutes in and Sans was looking desperate, his attacks were nearly nonexistent and slow, Eve was gaining ground, he was going to lose and he didn't know if he could handle that.

**_Was it really worth it? To be friends with them?_ **

ABSOLUTELY! He'd seen the way Kenji looked at his sister when she wasn't looking, eyes filled with love and a deep-rooted loneliness. He'd seen the way Eve would look off, gaze far away and incredibly sad. They needed a friend as magnificent as him, and there was no way he was going to give up now!

Eve was surprised at the sudden ferocity of his attacks, but not a single bone had been able to touch her yet. It was almost too easy to dodge the bones that sprung from nowhere and she was almost saddened by the fact that she was going to win.

It's the best for everyone, even if this had been the most fun she'd had in forever.

She started closing in on him, slipping under a wave of bones and stepping carefully to avoid sudden attacks from below.

_Was it really worth it? To crush his hopes? Are you really so selfish?_

_This isn't about me._

She vaulted over a row of bones and dropped into a back-bend as another one sliced the air above her.

_This isn't about me..._

Eve waited patiently for the next wave of attacks, observing the translucent blue sweat that was steadily dripping from his skull.

_This isn't good for him, let him win, would it really be so bad to have some friends._

_Shut up..._

Five minutes left, and all Sans could think about was the overwhelming feeling of disappointment that was swallowing his soul. He wasn't going to win, he wasn't going to be their friend, he wasn't going to be able to protect them.

He wasn't strong enough...

Eve took his momentary lapse in concentration and moved in, making it nearly impossible for him to summon more attacks at such a close range.

_Only a minute left, all I need... what?_

Her progress was halted as she seemed suddenly unable to move her leg forward thanks to a very jagged bone that seemed to have sprouted from her thigh.

_Oh... that's not supposed to be there..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this! It's not so good but thank you anyways! I'll see y'all next week.
> 
> Wanna talk or anything? Come find me at my tumblr thing!  
> https://ninathecrazy.tumblr.com/


	23. Not my fault...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus, my guy, wtf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeey! I'm Back! 
> 
> Very slight mention of blood and violence

Third person POV

The monsters gaped at this turn of events as Eve calmly studied the bone that had sprouted from her leg.

_It's thinner than the attack Sans had been throwing, and none of his had been jagged in the least, each perfect and pristine in shape. Combined with the fact that this bone was tinted a light orange pointed to the real attacker._

Everyone continued to stare in horror as Eve wrapped a hand around the bone, and for all intents and purposes, looked like she was going to rip it out of her leg.

Papyrus cleared his throat in an attempt to get her attention. "Hey, uh, might not want ta do that..."

"Why?"

They all blinked at her except for Kenji who had at some point left to grab the first aid kit. "What do ya mean why? That's a blue attack, if you move it'll hurt ya, so ripping it out is gonna cause some serious damage."

"I MUST AGREE WITH MY BROTHER, IT WOULD BE VERY UNWISE FOR YOU TO REMOVE IT LIKE THAT."

Eve smirked, removing her hands from the bone. I got them now. "Then why don't you call off the attack, _Sans_?"

Sans eyelights flickered to the bone, very clearly seeing that it hadn't been his attack, but not wanting to alert anyone else to that fact. "O-OF COURSE! I WILL DISPERSE THE ATTACK NOW!" He shot a panicked look to Papyrus before waving his hand, seemingly dispersing the attack and freeing Eve.

Alphys and Undyne shared similar looks of suspicion while Papyrus went back to snoozing alongside them. Eve stretched the leg and smiled; if papyrus thought he could attack her without her knowing, well, he had another thing coming to him that's for sure.

"Well done Sans, it seems you do have what it takes to hit me. So I will honor our agreement and train you."

Alphys immediately tackled Sans in a hug, knocking them both onto the ground as she shouted her congratulations, while Undybe stood to the side and smiled down at them.

Eve caught Kenji's eye as he came rushing out of the house and waved him off, not missing the ways his shoulders drooped with relief.

Eve turned back to the monsters and clapped. "That's enough training for today. Why don't we all take a seat inside and I'll order some food and put out refreshments. We can talk about future training sessions over lunch."

Alphys shouted Chinese while Sans whined about the amount of grease that always coated the food, Undyne trailed after the duo and was suggesting a sub place that had really good salads.

Eve started to follow when a bony hand gripped her shoulder, the tips digging into the scarred flesh hard enough to bruise. "Real funny joke there, now go tell him ya ain't training him."

She flinched away as tingles shot down her arm. "You should have thought of that before attacking me. Now you have to deal with the consequences of your actions."

"You're putting him in-"

Eve turned on her heel and snatched the string of his hoody, pulling him down so he was level with her eyes. "Now listen here you little shit. I'm only doing this because you fucked up. _You_ are the one who attacked _me_. _You_ are the one who Sans had to cover for. _You_ are the reason _I_ now have to train your brother. So the next time you try to accuse me something, make sure you have all the fucking facts, _got it?_ "

She shoved him away before he could answer and stalked into the house, leaving behind a very shaken skeleton.

  
Papyrus POV

_I fucked up, stars, I really really fucked up..._

I bring a shaking hand to my skull and scrub at my sockets. I hadn't meant to attack her, but the way she seemed to taunt Sans as she almost effortlessly dodged his attacks.

_It was bullshit._

Why give him false hope like that? Why give him the chance to achieve his goals when you knew he'd never win? And the way she'd started running up on him in the end, it just set something off in me.

_Thankfully it was just a blue attack..._

I shuddered at the images that assaulted me, pristine bones coated in blood and dead eyes, scarlet painted over gold-

"PAPY! HUMAN EVE HAS AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF MENUS AND I WANT YOUR OPINION ON WHERE WE ORDER FROM!"

_Always there when I need ya..._

"I don't know, this wall is pretty comfy," I smirk up at him as he stomps over, false annoyance crossing his skull.

"BUT HUMAN EVE HAS VERY COMFY FURNITURE, IT WOULD BE A SHAME FOR YOU NOT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT."

I raised a browbone. "Oh? Yer encouraging me to be lazy? Never thought I'd see the day."

He scoffs. "OF COURSE NOT! I, I just thought it would be a, reward, for helping me..." He trails off and buries his face into his bandanna, eyelights shifting to study the ground.

I push off the mat and clap him on the shoulder as I pass. "Don't know what you're talking 'bout bro."

"But-"

"Butts are for sitting."

"PAPYRUS NO!"

"What? It's true." I proved my point by plopping down onto one of the couches, and immediately started sinking into it.

"Woah..."

"I know right? I tried to get Eve to give it to me, but she says it's her favorite and I can have it when I promise I won't stain it." Kenji hops over the back of the couch and nestles into the other cushion as Sans slips past and into the kitchen. "Unfortunately, I could never make that promise, not like I'd want to either, stains add character!"

The kid pats the couch affectionately before turning to me with a gleam in his eyes. "Sooo, that was a pretty risky thing to do, attacking my sis like that."

_Oh fuck..._

"Not like I blame you, she can get pretty scary when she's focused." He shifted a little more before fully relaxing with a sigh. "Don't do it again, and no, I'm not threatening you, I'm warning you. She was very serious about ripping the bone from her leg, and if she hadn't been in such a good mood she probably would've tried to beat you with it."

My magic roils uncomfortably and I have to push the imagery away. "I don't doubt that, won't happen again, sorry boss."

He shrugged and dipped a hand into the cushions and rifled around for a moment before triumphantly brandishing a handful of suckers. "JACKPOT!"

Eve strolls out of the kitchen with a tray full of drinks and frowns at Kenji disapprovingly. "Put the couch suckers back, those are the last of my stash."

He pouts while stuffing the candy back into the cushions. "What about the ones you have hidden in the cabinet? Y'know, the ones behind the gross health cereal?"

Eve shrugged and started passing out drinks. "Those are special. Apple juice for Ken, Sea tea for Undyne and just water for Alphys. Milk for Sans," she turns to me with a raised brow. "Did you want anything specific, Papyrus?"

"Nah, I'm good." _I'm not taking anything from you._

She tsked softly and set an unopened bottle of honey on the table, just out of my immediate reach. "Suit yourself, did we all agree on what to order?"

Alphys and Sans immediately start debating between Chinese and the sub place Undyne had mentioned earlier as Kenji jumps into the conversation with the suggestion of pizza.

I watch as Eve moves to stand against a wall, arms crossed and hands gripping her forearms hard enough to mark the skin a faint red.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK PAPY?"

_Shit, I wasn't listening._ "You know me bro, I'll eat anythin'." I grin at him and sink further into the couch. Wonder where she got this thing, might get one for myself...

Sans puffs out his cheeks in annoyance and turned to Eve. "DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE?"

She shrugs and pulls a sucker from her pocket. "I'm not hungry, but I have a menu for a Korean place that has a really good selection, even a few types of tacos that you might enjoy."

_Now you've done it..._

Sans squealed and lunged at Eve, hefting her into a crushing hug. "WHAT AN AMAZING IDEA HUMAN EVE! HOW DID YOU KNOW I LOVED TACOS?"

Kenji pulled his phone out and started recording. "This is great."

Eve struggled in his hold before accepting her fate and going limp. "You brought taco's to the lab once, and I think I remember something about you and Kenji talking about tacos, Took a guess that they were your favorite, though it seems I wasn't wrong."

"MWEH HEH HEH! YOU ARE VERY OBSERVANT HUMAN EVE! I AM IN FACT THE MOST MAGNIFICENT TACOTEER TO EVER LIVE! BUT I DO ENJOY OTHERS ATTEMPTS AT MAKING THEM."

"You're the coolest bro," I called as he dropped Eve back to her feet and scooped up the Korean menu. "You know I _loaf_ your cooking."

His chest puffed with pride. "OF COURSE YOU DO! THE MAGN-" Seems like he caught the pun. "PAPY NO!"

Kenji giggled from his place on the couch. "Please, just _lettuce_ have our fun!"

"Yeah bro, you know how _olive_ puns."

"C'mon Papyrus, you can do _breader_ than that."

"I don' know, I think we're _grating_ on their nerves."

"True, but-"

Eve slammed her hands onto the coffee table and glared. "One more pun and I will physically throw you out of my house, **_got it?_** " She waited for us to nod before retreating back to the wall. "Good, so we decided on Korean?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! Hope ya enjoyed.
> 
> Come visit me?
> 
> https://ninathecrazy.tumblr.com/


	24. Not okay...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve has some issues she doesn't realize she has

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Almost didn't update this today cause everyone in my house came down with a craptastic flu and I'm just half-dead myself.
> 
> But hey, here it is!
> 
> Warnings: Mild panic attack in the beginning

Eve's POV

It was late before I was finally able to get them all to leave, calling up Clove to take Kenji home and watching as the rest of them were teleported out by Papyrus, silence finally settling over the house with their departure.

_Why does it feel so empty?_

I gathered up all the trash and drinking glasses from the table and dumped them in their respective places, digging out the broom and wet wipes to clean up any stray crumbs.

_That... that wasn't so bad, I guess. It could've gone worse?_

_Except the now I have to set up watch for them..._

I huffed and dumped the soiled wipes and crumbs into the trash, scowling at the couch Papyrus had occupied earlier like it offended me.

There was nothing physically wrong with it, and he'd hardly left a crumb on the smooth surface, but the fact he had taken my favorite spot rubbed me wrong, making me want to scrub the entire thing with bleach before setting it on fire.

_Stop being so unreasonable, it's just a couch, he's just another person, there's no reason for me to be acting like this..._

_So why does his presence irk me so much?_

He hadn't spoken beyond a few words after the food arrived, not even seeming conscious most of the time for that matter. But there were a few instances where I could feel his gaze on me, making my skin prickle unpleasantly.

_It's because he doesn't trust me, that's it, there no other reason, but what about others? I'd known a fair share who wouldn't trust me for a second, so why did his constant mistrust bother me?_

I tsk and flick off all the lights as I head to my room, grabbing a couple towels from the linen closet as I pass and detouring to the bathroom for a quick shower.

The training with Sans had me sorer than I was ready to admit, and left a film of sweat and dirt over my skin that itched unpleasantly.

I stripped and tossed my clothes into the corner, ignoring the mirror as I set the shower to the hottest it would go, before stepping in and sighing. The warmth worked its way into my aching muscles and left me feeling relaxed, letting my mind wander.

_Would it be like that every time I trained him? Or was he putting so much effort forth simply because he had something to lose? Why is he so determined to know me? Us?_

_Does he have an ulterior motive?_

_Does he want something from Kenji?_

_Papyrus is close to the monarchy, could it be that the royals want something?_

_Maybe they want to use Kenji to make things for them?_

_He made the scanner, what else could he be useful for?_

_Do they know about-_

I slammed my fist into the wall tiles, shattering them easily and breaking through to the wall beneath with a sickening crunch.

**_S T O P  T H I N K I N G_ **

_Why is it so hard to breathe? Fuck that hurt, I'm going to have to get one of the boys to fix it, why the fuck did I do that? When did the water get so cold?_

I gently pulled my arm back, scowling at the now luke-warm water and inspecting the damage.

Three knuckles were split and there were scratches littered over the rest of the hand, It was already starting to swell as blood seeped from the shallow cuts.

Sour bile rose in my throat and I dipped the injured hand into the spray, forcing myself to check the cuts for any remaining pieces of tile as I cleaned it off.

_Fucking **stupid!** Panicking like that, I should've had better control than that..._

_Breathe, in and out, just like that, ignore the blood, get that piece out, yup, you're doing so well! Now get the soap and finish washing up before the water gets too cold_

"I'm fucking stupid." I hiss, baring my teeth against the sting of soap in open cuts.

_No, you're not, remember you said it was ok not to be ok? Today was just a little much, you'll be better in the morning. Don't forget to wrap up that hand_

I sighed and finished rinsing myself off, shutting off the water and wrapping myself in the towels as I flipped off the bathroom light and made my way to my room.

I rummaged through the dresser and pulled out one of Cloves old tanktops he'd left here once, deciding it'd work as a nightshirt as I slipped it on.

"Maybe today was just a little more than I could handle..." I mutter, running a hand through the tangles in my hair and hissing as it caught on my fingers and tugged at my scalp.

_I should cut it, I've let it grow for far too long, besides, It'll make it so much easier to brush it in the morning..._

I sighed and rummaged through the bedside table, grabbing a pair of scissors before making my way back to the bathroom.

  
~Time skip~

  
_The air feels odd against my neck_

I buried my face further into my sweater, feeling oddly light and exposed from the lack of my hair.

_Maybe I should've left it at least shoulder length, I haven't had it this short in years..._

I forgot how fluffy my hair could be when short, poofing out around my head and swaying gently in the early morning breeze.

The morning air no longer held the light chill of spring, now full of a humming energy that I could only associate with summer and heat.

_I'm gonna have to pull out my lighter sweaters soon..._

The bell above the door greeted me as I stepped into the shop, chiming merrily and dragging my attention to the fact I'd made it to the shop without even thinking.

I scowled, flipping the sign to open and trudging to the register to start setting it up for the day. "Could've been jumped, what the hell is wrong with me? Fucking stupid..." I trail off as the bell chimes again and two children run into the shop, barely able to stop before they could collide with the counter.

May looked mildly confused as she stared at, cocking her head as she looked me over. "Hello, are you Miss Eve's brother? Do you know when she'll be back?"

_...do I really look like a guy? Well, maybe that's not such a bad thing..._

I kept my chin buried in my sweater and tilted my head sadly. "Do I really look like a boy? You wound me, child."

May's eyes flew wide as she really looked at me while Chara seemed to be studying me, lips twitching down at whatever they found. "I'm so sorry Miss Eve! You do look really pretty, not at all like a boy."

_So cute..._

May huffed and dragged Chara away from the counter and towards the carnations, pointing out the different colors as she tried to explain what they meant form memory, only messing up when she came to the striped ones.

"She's so cute when she's excited, don't you think?

My gaze snapped to the newcomer, idly noting I hadn't heard the bell as I took in his somewhat intimidating appearance.

Nearly seven feet tall and incredibly lean, the skeleton monster with cracks in his face smiled down at me while offering a large, holey, hand to shake. "Hello! My name is Gaster! I think you've met my sons?"

_For fuck's sake, **there's more of you?!**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank y'all for reading, I don't think I'm going to be able to update next week due to alot of crap I gotta do for the holidays, so sorry for that.
> 
> Hope y'all have a great time and all that jazz!
> 
> https://ninathecrazy.tumblr.com/ <\--- This is me! Come over if ya wanna talk...


	25. Will he accept?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will he accept? Heh, it's not that easy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHIT I WROTE 25 CHAPTERS OF SOMETHING 0-0
> 
> I just realized that I wrote this thing and damn! I'm just??? Excited???
> 
> No warnings for this chapter!

Kenji's POV

I wiped sweat from my eyes, panting as I dodged past Sans, quickly taking in the fact that he seemed to be just as tired as myself. "Maybe we should take a break?" I call as I stumbled out of reach again.

_Damn, he looks tired, we really should rest soon, is that a tongue?_

I shake off the thought and look up at the gently waving trees, sighing as the breeze cools the sweat running down my neck.

This section of the park was mainly unused and overgrown, the perfect place for training since Eve made the excuse of not wanting to tear up her backyard every time we trained.

Not to mention she feared for her house after an incident with a stray bone and a shattered window.

She regarded us silently before nodding stiffly and grabbing a couple of bottles of Sea Tea from the cooler at her side. "You're both improving; Sans, you need to work on moving a little less stiffly, think fluid. Kenji, you need to work on your goading and footwork."

I grab the bottles and toss one to Sans. "I don' know whatcha mean sis, I never-"

She scowled and crossed her arms. "You goaded Sans _fifteen times_ _in the last hour_ , not to mention the unnecessary gloating when he failed to hit you."

I shrugged and dropped between a couple of roots at the foot of a tree. "I had a reason, I didn't get hit, so I should be able to celebrate a little bit." I plucked up some blades of grass, carefully tying them together and weaving them into a thin cord.

I ignored the disapproving look she was sending my way and focused on braiding the grass cord into a crown. I set it aside and started pulling up the blue flowers that sprouted around the tree roots, carefully splitting their stems.

_She had a point though, if I get too cocky I could make a fatal error, I should never underestimate an opponent, even if he could hardly touch me._

"So, when are you going to let me be on the offensive? So far it's only been Sans on the offensive and me defending, I don't think I have any more I need to learn in that area." I set aside the finished flower crown and go back to weaving grass. "And it's not that I'm _bored_ or anything, I just really think I'm ready to learn how to fight."

Sans nodded in agreement and I shot him a grateful smile. "I AGREE WITH FRIEND KENJI. AS MUCH AS I HAVE ENJOYED LEARNING TO FIGHT, I THINK IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT THAT I LEARN TO DEFEND MYSELF."

Before Papyrus could protest, like he always did whenever fighting with Eve came up, Eve shook her head sharply. "I'll fight Kenji, but I refuse to teach you self-defense. Yes, it is a key part of survival, but there is no way for you to safely block any of our attacks." She crossed her arms and glared him down when he seemed like he was about to argue. "I agreed to teach you combat, not defense, you'll have to ask someone else."

They stared each other down, neither willing to give in, and it was almost painful to watch.

_It's not my fault though, and if I learn to fight then Eve doesn't always have to worry about me._

"Sorry Sans, but I gotta agree with Eve, we don't want to accidentally hurt you..." I trailed off as he turned his glare on me.

_Oh boy..._

"I HIGHLY DOUBT THAT EITHER OF YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO HURT ME, NOT THAT YOU WOULD WANT TOO... Right?"

_Fuck, he's a cutie..._

_Shit, I think he's cute... like really fucking cute, especially when he wears those dark jeans anD HOLY SHIT! WHAT THE HELL?_

_HOW THE FUCK DO I FIND HIM CUTE? OH SHIT NO, ABORT! ABORT!_

I tune out whatever conversation they're having and stare at the grass crowns in my hand. _How did this happen? I hardly know him, and it's not like I knew that much him either._

_Not like I knew Cinnamon.._

_But he was safe to like because he was taken and he had his wife and it would never evolve into anything..._

_It's only a crush, those disappear all the time! this isn't anything to be worried over, nope, this 'crush' would just blow over and I can go back to not thinking about it..._

**_How do you even kiss a skeleton???_ **

  
Eve's POV

_Did Papyrus keep him in the dark about us? Did he think that would keep him safe? What does he think he's trying to accomplish?_

I can feel a pounding headache forming as I glare at the lazy bastard resting against a tree. "It seems your brother has severely neglected to inform you of certain facts."

Papyrus was suddenly very awake and shooting a glare my way. "Don't give me that look, I'm not the one who neglected to inform their brother they were associating with incredibly dangerous people."

I took pride in the way he blushed in shame, soft orange staining his cheeks and nasal ridge as he refused to meet any of our gazes.

Sans was also looking at his brother, browbones furrowed as he tried to puzzle out what I was talking about. "WHAT ARE YOU NOT TELLING ME? WHAT DOES FRIEND EVE MEAN BY DANGEROUS?"

Papyrus shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets, still refusing to look up.

_This is painful to watch, wheres Ken? He's great at explaining..._

I found him sitting at the base of another tree, staring blankly at a pair of grass crowns while mumbling something about teeth?

_Ok, I think he's trained enough for one day, Guess I gotta do this..._

I turn back to the brothers, easily hefting Sans over a shoulder, and plopped him down next to his brother. "Alright, I don't think I explained this well enough when Papyrus first came looking for answers. So I'm going to make things perfectly clear."

Papyrus looks like he wants to puke while Sans is trying to look solemn, the effect slightly ruined by the fact he was bouncing in place. "Heh, I think I learned enough last time..."

"I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR FRIEND!"

_Guess I really traumatized Papyrus, damn..._

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. "Ok look, I'm sorry I put out so much information in our first meeting, but I was trying to scare you off, and since that obviously didn't work, I apologize." I offered my hand, letting it waver in the air between us. "I would like to formally ask for your friendship since it seems this is the most likely outcome anyway."

Sans was staring at me, his eyelights shrunk in shock while Papyrus's jaw hung open, the tiny lights completely gone from his sockets.

_Was this the wrong thing to do? Maybe I should've kept my mouth shut..._

Sans launched himself into my middle, taking me by surprise and knocking me to the ground. "OF COURSE I ACCEPT YOUR FRIENDSHIP! WOWEE! THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!" He yanks me back up and beams at Papyrus. "YOU'LL ACCEPT RIGHT? I BELIEVE SHE IS BEING SINCERE WITH HER APOLOGY. EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT SHE IS APOLOGIZING FOR..."

The lights flickered in Papyrus's sockets and he shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "I accept yer apology, but I ain't gonna be your friend."

_Ah, I suppose that was to be expected, I am a highly dangerous person and-_

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WON'T ACCEPT HER FRIENDSHIP? WHY NOT?" Sans was fuming, glaring down at his older brother with his hands planted on his... hips? Hip-bones?

Papyrus shrugged again and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. "I can't see her soul, Sans. There's no way I'd ever trust her."

_My... soul..._

_He can see souls..._

_But not mine..._

Bitterness welled to the surface of my soul and I bit out a harsh laugh. "You don't want to see that, trust me, or not, but you got sick just from talking about my past. Do you really think you'd be able to handle seeing it? **_I don't fucking think so_.** " I scoff and lurch to my feet, scowling and forcing away the darkness clawing at the edges of my mind.

_Of course, he'd never trust me, never accept me. Why'd I ever think differently?_

"This was obviously a mistake." I hiss, marching over to Kenji and hefting him over my shoulder. "Say goodbye to your _friends_ Kenji, we're leaving."

He jolts out of his thoughts, struggling in my grip. "Wait, no, sis? Guys? What's going on? I don't want to leave!" He starts thrashing, slamming an elbow into the back of my skull and throwing me forward.

_Betrayed, by my own blood, how expected._

_Why does it feel like my soul is shredding?_

I drop Kenji, refusing to look at any of them. "Fine, stay with them, it's not like I care. Besides," I glance at him over my shoulder, face blank and eyes cold. " **I'm used to being betrayed by family**."

I took off.

Kenji was fast, but I was faster. It showed as I sprinted away from them, guilt and fury fighting to control me.

_I shouldn't have said that!_

_How dare he choose them! Over me! I raised him! I protected him!_

_How could I have said that? That was beyond wrong, I should go back! I should apologize..._

_He chose them, he hit me..._

_It hurts..._

  
Third person POV

They watched as she disappeared, moving so fast that only Papyrus had a chance of ever catching up to her with his teleporting.

Kenji turned to look at the brothers, his face mirroring the Eves. _"What happened?"_

Sans shoulder sagged and he looked to Papyrus. "She offered an apology and asked to be our friend. I accepted, but Papyrus..."

_"What did you **do?** "_ Kenji hissed, digging his nails into his palms.

Papyrus shrank into his hoodie, nervously chewing the filter of his cigarette. "I told her I wouldn't be her friend."

"Why? What did she do that was so bad you can't accept her friendship? Do you know how many people she's befriended in her life? _NONE_! WE DON'T MAKE FRIENDS! WE-"

"I DON'T TRUST ANY OF YOU!" He roared, chest heaving and cigarette forgotten. "I can't _judge_ you! I can't see yer fucking _**souls**!_  How can I ever-"

"Nobody else can either, and they're all just fine with us," Kenji replied coldly, staring Papyrus down as Sans anxiously looked between them. "I know your role of Judge, and I know for a fact that only a few of the older monsters can see human souls. Do you think that stops Undyne from trusting me? Or Sans? They can't see our souls and they still want to be our friends. So cut it with the bullshit excuse that you can't trust us because of that."

He turned on his heel and marched away, pausing and turning back with fire in his eyes. "If you can't trust us, trust _me_ , then I want you to quit. I don't want such a close-minded asshole working with me, especially when you've proven that I can't trust you either. I'll be waiting for your answer Monday."

_This is for the best, fuck I have to find Eve, she has to understand I didn't abandon her._

Sans watches as Kenji takes off towards where Eve disappeared before turning to regard his brother. "I... I'm disappointed in you Papyrus."

Papyrus flinched and rubbed a hand over his sockets, sighing heavily. "Yeah, I am too bro, I really fucked everything up."

"I don't know what she said to you, but was it really so bad that you would forsake her friendship? You heard Kenji, so, what are you going to do now?"

Papyrus stared at the remains of Kenji's crowns, trampled under his feet as he left to find Eve. "I don't know..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING WITH ME SO FAR O3O
> 
> I honestly thought no one wanted to read my crap, which has ended with me getting beat up by my sister for doubting myself, but hey! I got this far and you guys seem to like it! So thanks! I hope this year is good to us all! 
> 
> Oh, and thanks to people who wished me well! Y'all are a buncha sweeties~
> 
> Happy new year!


	26. Market

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wonder what BD is and why it has rules...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooo~ 
> 
> Back once more, out of my little hovel, to give ya a new chapter!
> 
> No warnings? Pretty sure there's no warnings...

Third person POV

Eve had slowed to a leisurely stroll as she neared the more populated parts of the park, keeping an eye out for anyone suspicious, it wouldn't do to draw unwanted attention by running through the park like a lunatic.

_What did I expect? It was obvious he would choose them, they're new, interesting, so very good!_

She kicked a rock out of the path, tugging the arms of her sweater over her hands. Fuck all of them, she didn't need this right now, it wasn't like she actually meant that apology, at all...

Except she really had...

She growled in frustration, slightly startling a couple that had taken up residence on a nearby bench. Did they really need to be doing that in public?

_Fucking bastards! I fucking apologize and he treats me like a rabid dog that'd bite at any fucking second_

**_Is it so shocking though? You might as well be one for all the blood-_ **

_DID I FUCKING ASK YOUR OPINION? NO? FUCK OFF!_

She ran a hand through her hair, tugging at the strands as she tried to calm her breathing; it was fine, this was all fine, she could get past this, and if she knew anything at all then Kenji would be around later to apologize, probably with a monstrosity of a dessert.

Maybe a trip to the market would be nice? I really need to stock the fridge if Sans and Ken kept insisting on showing up randomly, plus I could grab a few bags of suckers and a bottle of scotch...

It's decided then, TO THE MARKET!

_Everything would be fine, it had to be..._

  
Papyrus's POV

Everything was not fine.

Sans was refusing to talk to me, immediately bolting when I brought us home, barely shouting something about Alphys before he was out the door.

Not to mention that it seemed I was gonna lose my job...

_Fuck, I fucked everything up! How the hell did she expect me ta act? She made it clear that she was dangerous, that I had ta keep them away or we'd get hurt_

_What the fuck was she thinking? Going back on her threats and trying ta be friends?_

_This is all fucking bullshit..._

My teeth grind unpleasantly as I search for my spare pack of cigarettes, only coming up with an already empty pack and a harsh sticky note.

"Fuck."

_Alright, a quick run ta the market for some cigs and everything would be better, just need some fresh air..._

_Yeah, like the city air could ever be considered **fresh**_

I snorted and decided for the local market, owned by this older couple who just loved Sans and Undyne, kept insisting those two would make a cute couple.

Neither tried to correct them, but Alphys had threatened to go down and set them straight.

_Heh, like she knew how ta do that!_

I chuckled and pulled a sucker from a pocket, feeling a sliver of contentedness as I shoved it between my teeth.

The market was a mesh of farmers market and old-timey mom and pop store, but it always seemed to have a steady flow of customers year round, not to mention some of the freshest produce around.

_Wonder if this is where Muffet's been gettin' that new honey..._

I grab one of the reusable burlap bags, shooting a quick message ta Sans, seeing if he needed me ta pick anything up.

Wasn't all that busy today, mainly older ladies stocking up for the week, clustering together and gossiping.

It was almost weird how the older humans seemed to congregate together, even if they were strangers, they just seemed to always be in groups.

"Hello again Paprika! What brings you in? Oh! Did you want to see the new honey we've brought in?"

I sighed, scratching my jaw and making my way over to the lady. "Ya can call me Paps Mrs. Adley, an' naw, just came by ta try the clove cigarettes yer husband keeps ravin' about. Maybe pick up a few groceries while I'm at it."

She nodded sagely, quickly excusing herself as she called out to someone else.

2:37 Bro-

WE NEED MORE SOUR CREAM AND TOMATOES! PLEASE CHECK FOR THE SMALL PURPLE AND YELLOW ONES! THAT IS ALL!

_At least he's texting normally, so maybe I hadn't screwed up that badly..._

_He couldn't really be mad at me, I mean, yeah, I definitely could've handled that better, but she was dangerous! She'd made sure to hammer that point home..._

_Maybe I should've told him about Eve, then he'd understand-_

_**Kinda like how you told him about Chara? Buncha good that did hmm? Didn't save him from-** _

"Oh, how _lovely_ seeing you again." The voice drove into my skull and sent chills down my spine.

_Why the fuck is she here?_

Eve stared at me blankly, a bag of her own dangling from her arm with some sort of green leafy thing hanging out. "Well, it seems you've suddenly become mute, mind moving so I may procure what I've come for?"

"Back to being a formal ice queen? Fun." I stepped out of her way as she grabbed a bottle of scotch. _Why am I in the liquor aisle?_

"Ah, at least I seem to have more moods than jackass, goodbye."

_Fuck her, not like I-_ "Wait a sec, I need ta talk ta ya." _NO? I DON'T?_

She scoffed and kept walking, forcing me to follow if I did want to talk to her.

_What the hell was I saying? I don't need ta talk ta her, if anything I need to avoid her more than ever. What the hell was I thinking?_

Kenji was right though, there were very few who could see souls, and even then they couldn't see as much as I could, so why was I using that as an excuse?

**_You're afr-_ **

_Cautious, I'm bein' cautious. She's already given me enough evidence that she's not ta be trusted, what else do I need?_

"I wanted... fuck I don't know, I don't even know why I said I wanted ta talk! I ain't got anythin' ta say..."

She tossed an unimpressed look over her shoulder and slid a box of pasta into her bag. "Is that so, how unfortunate for you. But I must agree, I've said my piece and have nothing more to say. If you would be so kind as to leave us be, that would be lovely."

"What the _ **fuck**_ is yer issue? Ever since I first met ya, you nothin' but a **_cold-hearted bitch_**!" Fuck I went too far.

She just shrugged, letting the insult roll off her. "I'm not the one who was immediately hostile. I did you a kindness, and you were ready to attack me."

"I couldn't see-"

"My soul? _And_?" Her smile was condescending. "Like I said, you'd probably puke again, or faint, I'm not sure which, but it would be equally amusing."

Like she would know, humans weren't even aware they had souls until we came up. "Ya know what? I'm really fuckin' sorry. I'm sorry about the way I acted when I first met ya, about the way I keep actin', **_I'm sorry_**."

Her shoulders tensed as she spun on her heel, expression blank as her eyes flickered over my face. _Is she tryin' ta see if I'm lyin'? Don't blame her..._

"Alright, you're sorry," she smirked as she ran a hand through her hair. "But you're still a jackass. If you want, you can come over and we can have a proper conversation."

_What?_

"What?" **_So articulate._**

She shrugs again, and I realize we've rounded back to the cash register. "Despite what you've said, I'm not an ice queen, and I was being genuine when I apologized for scaring you. I wish to speak like adults and resolve our issues."

I regard her, suspicion settling in my soul. _This... this didn't seem right..._ "What's the catch?"

She flipped her hand up. "I'll explain the rules of the conversation when you agree and we get to my place. Nothing bad, but it'll definitely be unpleasant." She grins and turns to Mrs. Adley as she hands over her bag. "Good afternoon Mrs. Adley, how have you been?"

Mrs. Adley coos at Eve, reaching over the counter to stroke her hair. "Oh, I've been just fine! But it seems you've been busy! What did you do to your lovely hair? It was so long, is it because of your man-friend here? _Oh, you naughty girl you **!**_ " She starts giggling and ringing up the bag of groceries.

_Man-friend? What the hell-_

"I assure you, Mrs. Adley, Papyrus is merely an acquaintance!" Eve spluttered, cheeks slowly growing red.

_Oh, OH SHE MEANT ME!_

The smile she gives Eve is pitying. "Mhmm, is that why you just invited him home? And what's this I hear about rules?" Her eyes glitter as she brings a hand up to fan herself. "Oh you naughty, _naughty_ , girl! Are you into that, oh whats it called? BD-"

Eve slams down a couple of twenties, entire face red. "Thank you! We'll be leaving now!" She yanks the bag off the counter and wraps a hand around my wrist, tugging me from the store and pulling me towards her home.

"So," I grin, noting the way she was very actively avoiding my gaze. "What's this about BD-"

"Finish that sentence and I'll **_rip your arm off._** " She growls, giving said appendage a harsh tug.

_Pay-back time_

Before she could take another step I grab her wrist and yank her to me, opening a portal and stepping into her living room. "Oh look, we're here, now start-

I'm yanked down to meet her eyes, freezing as the air seems to become charged, kinda like a thunderstorm about to break. "Do that again, and there will be no MERCY, understood?"

I nod, digging my shaking hands into the hoodies pockets as she smiled and released me, taking her bag to the kitchen.

"Good, now sit the fuck down, would you like a drink?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BACK TO THE HOVEL! *waves as I nose dive into hovel* See ya next weeeek~
> 
>  
> 
> Want ta talk? Find me here! ---> https://ninathecrazy.tumblr.com/


	27. Scotch for your thoughts?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve may or may not have a problem...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~ Welcome back dear readers!
> 
> Mention of past child-abuse, very small so be aware

Eve's POV

I dump the bags content out onto the counter and start putting it away, grabbing the still unopened honey and the bottle of scotch before heading back to the living room. He's slumped into the couch, eyelights flickering as he stared into the distance.

_He's easy to rattle..._

**_Well, he is just bones, heh_ **

_Why?_

I toss the bottle of honey at him and settle into a chair. "Alright, I brought you here to, clear the water, so to speak."

"Don't ya mean clear the air?"

I shrug and rip the lid off the scotch, not caring as it drops to the floor and bounces away. "Water is harder to clear than air, and our water is damn near solid with the amount of shit in it."

Before he can interrupt me with more, I cut in. "The rules are simple, we go back and forth asking questions, you can only pass three times, anytime after that and you'll need to take a shot of tequila-"

"Not scotch?" He raises a brow at the bottle I was possessively clutching.

"No," I take a swig, sighing as it burns down my throat,"tequila is stronger and this is mine. Each question will be answered truthfully. If you believe I'm lying, well that just fucking sucks for you. If you agree to the rules, then stay, if not, get the fuck out and leave the honey." I gave him a minute to think it over, taking another drink of scotch.

**_His questions are going to be invasive_ **

_I know_

_Are you ready to tell him the truth?_

_It's why I'm drinking the scotch like water..._

**_That's not a good-_ **

"Sure, I'll play along, go ahead an' ask away, ain't got anythin' ta hide." He pops open the honey and sips at it, narrowing his sockets at the label. "What's in this? Tastes odd."

_Wow, wants to play but still doesn't have a spec of trust..._

"It's sourwood honey, great on a variety of baked goods. How did you come to work with my brother?"

He eyed the bottle for a moment before answering. "He'd offered me the job after Undyne went on about how I use to work in the lab with her underground, course I accepted, couldn't leave Undyne alone with him."

I scoff. "Of course, because he is just the epitome of evil."

He kicks his feet up and I push down the urge to chuck my bottle at him, only slightly soothed by the fact he had taken off his shoes. "Why can't I see your soul."

**_Point for me!_ **

_Yeah, shut it_

"I'm hiding it."

"Ho-"

I cut him off. "Not your turn. Do you or Undyne have ulterior motives for working with my brother?"

He finally met my eyes, looking confused. "What do you mean? Why would ya think that? Course we don't, Undyne was ecstatic ta start workin' with him and I gotta admit, despite joining for Undyne, it's been pretty great getting back inta a lab."

_He's not lying..._

I wave for him for him to go. "How are you hiding-"

"Pass."

"You can-"

I flick a piece of lint past his teeth, cutting him off as he tries to spit it out. "Of course I can. It is a question that Kenji would have to agree with. Go ahead, I'll give you a redo."

He fishes the lint out, scowling at me as he tosses it onto the table. "Fine, why doesn't Kenji live here?"

Hmmm. "Safer that way, for him and me. Besides you and your friends, no one knows we're related." When did I drink so much? "You weren't supposed to know either, but Ken can be forgetful. My turn. Are there any other skeletons I have to worry about? I've already met your brother and one other."

Papyrus snickered into his honey. "You met my old man? He's pretty great. But no, only the three of us, for now, that is, pops is in a pretty serious relationship, wouldn't be surprised to see more of us runnin' around one day." He chuckled fondly.

_They seem to have a healthy relationship..._

"So, what about yer parents? I remember boss sayin' you were his guardian, what happened to them?"

Really hitting hard, but he's skirting around the main question

"They're both dead and gone, have been for a while now. Why do you drink honey?" I sip my scotch, focusing on the peeling label.

He shrugs, looking at his own bottle. "Think it started when I was young. pops would put honey in my milk, ta get me ta calm down and I just never stopped drinking it. Is what boss said about yer scars true?"

_Shit, what did Kenji tell them?_

**_Probably horrible things, remember he betrayed you_ **

_FUCK OFF!_

I tip the bottle back and swallow the rest of its contents, frowning as I tried to remember what else I had in my kitchen. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, want to clarify?"

_Do I still have a bottle of Crown? No, I gave that to Mint. Do I even have any liquor? Maybe there's some behind the tequila..._

"You said they were all from pretty fucked up shit, but he says you got them protecting others, I wanna know which story is right."

_Of course he'd try to defend me, idiot_

I shrug, dropping the bottle beside the chair. "Yeah, sounds like something he'd say, he's not wrong, I'm not either. It's all a matter of perspective."

I stand before he could ask anything else, heading to the kitchen and rotting through the cabinets.

_Damn, not even buzzed, maybe I should've started with the tequila..._

**_ALCOHOLIC!_ **

_I hate you..._

I grab the tequila and a few suckers, ignoring the shot glasses that sat next to it. Next trip is to the pantry for a bag of barbeque chips and gummy worms.

Papyrus is still in the same spot I left him, most of the honey gone as he twiddles with a couch sucker. "I was serious about those, don't eat them, I need them at four in the morning. My turn by the way." I toss him the bag of gummy worms as I rip into the chips. "Seems you have an oral fixation of sorts, whats that about?"

He scoffs and shoves the sucker back between the cushions. "Always had it, used ta chew through shit like a pup. I think pops has a video of me chewin' on a chair leg. What about you? Boss likes ta make fun of how many suckers you go through in a week."

_Couldn't he ask about my shop or hobbies? This is getting depressing._

"We were given enough food to keep us alive, not healthy or happy, just alive, so I'd give Ken my rations sometimes. After I got us out, I found suckers and..." I trailed off, shoving a handful of chips into my mouth, trying to figure how to word my answer. "It's... really comforting, to have something to chew on and knowing that its mine." I shrug and eye the tequila.

_A quick drink wouldn't hurt_

_His eye lights are gone again..._

"keep staring and I'll start throwing chips in your sockets." I threatened, munching through another handful.

He turns his head and stares at the wall instead, his expression going blank.

**_Oh look, you broke him again_ **

"Don't go worrying about the past, you'll just-" I'm cut off as he throws his head back and starts chuckling humourlessly.

"Ya know, whenever I thought about the surface, about humanity, I always held this little spark of hope; maybe you had learned to be better, maybe you learned to be kind. And here I am, learning that you only learned new ways to be cruel." He falls silent and throws an arm over his sockets.

_He's right, we've never learned, we just..._

"We're not all bad. I have a little girl who comes into my shop every single day before school with a single quarter." He hasn't moved, but I can feel his attention on me. "I don't sell any flowers for a quarter, and yet, every day, I sell her a carnation, and every other week I have a 'sale', and I'll sell her other flowers, all for a quarter."

"Why?" His eyelights are back, flickering as he studies me. "Why do that? It can't be cost-effective, or-"

"Have you ever seen a child smile?" I murmur, finally reaching for the bottle of tequila. "When she smiles at me, it gives me hope, for her, for humanity. Because if she can smile every morning over a simple flower, then it can't all be bad."

I kick my legs over the arm of the chair. "It's late and I have a date with this bottle." After a moment of hesitation, I toss him my phone. "Put your number in if you want so we can do this again, don't think I hadn't noticed you pussyfooting around the issue here either."

I ignore him as he taps something into my phone, prying the cork from the bottle and tossing it towards the kitchen. "I'm free most days around four, bring your own booze if ya want, I'm not too fond of sharing." He didn't answer, looking up I realized I was alone, my phone carefully placed on the coffee table.

"Oh well, cheers!"

_This is gonna hurt in the morning_

  
??? POV

The flower shop looked drabbed compared to hers, the paint peeling and chipped. They had one of the newer ringers for the door instead of a bell, making me grit my teeth in annoyance.

_For such an expensive place, they have no sense of style_

_Tch, who the fuck puts carpet in a flower shop?_

The girl behind the counter was eyeing me, a shy smile curling her lips. "Hello, how may I assist you?" She bit her lip, looking up at me through her lashes.

_Disgusting whore, as if I'd ever stoop to lay with you_

I cleared my throat and managed a charming smile. "Yes, you can assist me. I need to assemble a bouquet." For her, I added silently.

_She'll see, I love her, more than anything. I would be so perfect for her, take such good care of her, no one can love her like me..._

_She'll see..._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra points if you can figure out what the problem is.
> 
> Welp, peace~!


	28. No need to PANic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nobody ever thinks things through...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~ I'm back once more to bring you this garbo~
> 
> Warning: Alcohol abuse, needles, panic attack and minor injuries.

Kenji's POV

_Why won't she answer my calls? Is she really that mad? What the hell did I-_

**_Crunch_ **

Pain lances through my palm as I unknowingly crush the empty vial I'd been cleaning. I shake the loose shards off into the sink and hiss at the glass still embedded in my skin.

_I need to pay more attention, safety first, keep your eye on the prize, orange chocolate is really yummy..._

_Damnit, FOCUS!_

I keep my injured hand close as I dig through drawers for one of the medkits, growing aggravated as each drawer turned up nothing.

"Where the fuck did I put those stupid fucking-"

"Boss?"

"FIGHT ME!"

Papyrus is standing near the exit, staring at me with wide sockets. "Uh... boss? You alright? Looks like I caught ya a little red-handed." He chuckled at his own joke, but it sounded weak.

I narrow my eyes at him and go back to searching through drawers, nearly slamming a finger a couple times. "What do you want? I said you could answer me Monday, meaning I really don't want to see you before then."

_WHERE ARE THE FUCKING MEDKITS???_

"I... I came to apologize."

_Why do I have so many paperclips? There is no reason for me to have this many paperclips, why are they in every. damn. drawer???_

"Boss-"

"I AM BLEEDING AND ANGRY AND I REALLY DON'T WANT-"

"You moved the medical stuff ta Eve's desk..."

_Oh..._

Sure enough, the kits are piled neatly under the desk, each newly filled and clean.

_When'd I move these?_

I grab one and pop it open on her desk, pulling out tweezers, alcohol wipes, and clean bandages, taking a seat to carefully start pulling the slivers of glass left in my hand. "Ya know, when I first met you, you reminded me a lot of Eve."

The slight shuffling of his clothes are suddenly silent, I couldn't even make out his breath. "How?"

I hate when I get cuts between my fingers. "How could I not? Sure, there are some big differences, you act lazier than she would ever dare, and she is so polite and formal it hurts."

Papyrus chuckles softly and pulls a chair over, settling it in front of me and taking my hand. "Why ya think its an act? 'm pretty lazy."

"There's a difference between lazy, and depressed."

He had no reply to that as he inspected my hand, using his magic to pluck out any pieces I missed. "But underneath that protective layer are people who are kind, loyal, would do anything to protect the ones they loved, you were just taught how to in different ways."

He still doesn't answer, taking one last look before the warm orange of his magic tints gre-

I yank my hand away, scooting across the desk and falling off the other side, bashing my tailbone and wrist. "N-n-n-n-"

**_Breathe, just breathe. C'mon, big one in, big one out~_ **

The sudden movement reopened some of the scabbing cuts and I can feel the blood dripping from my hand to the tiles.

_I can't I-I_

"Come on Kenji, you gotta breathe through it, breathe with me, not that I really need ta..."

There's a hand in my hair and another rubbing my back and my eyes are burning, am I crying? When did that happen?

I hiccup past a breath and curl into Papyrus, carefully tucking my hand to my chest to slow the bleeding. "N-n-n-n-n"

"Shh, it's alright, ya don't gotta say anythin'. Everythin's fine, ya know, I used ta sell hot cats in the underground, illegally o' course. An I had ta hide 'em every time Alphys came by ta check-"

He keeps talking, his voice somehow rumbling in his chest with each word. _It's so nice and safe and I could jus..._

Papyrus's POV

He clung to my hoodie with his good hand, breaths evening out as I told him about my odd jobs in the underground and all the ways I'd get out of doing them.

_I don't know what to do..._

The most obvious thing would be ta take him home, which led to me realizing that, even though I'd been working for him for nearly a year now, I had no idea where he lived.

_Which didn't leave me with many options..._

_Drop him off with Eve? No, she looked like she was going to drink herself to sleep, I don't think she'd want Kenji to see that..._

_My place then_

_Lifting him is easier than I expected..._

I rip open a doorway to the void, careful to keep Kenji away from the edges, and head in the general direction of home.

_Fuck, why does this feel like a mistake?_

  
Third person POV

Eve sprawled across the couch, an empty bottle of tequila dangling from her fingertips, swaying slightly before it finally slipped and thunked to the floor.

_Why is the ceiling white? Why not blue? Or maybe a nice warm red? White is so cold, so impersonal..._

She giggled drunkenly and rolled off the couch, hugging the floor and giggling harder as the rug tickled her nose. "Sssoooffft."

_What's that noise? Is that my heart? **BOOM BOOM BOOM** , silly heart, you're supposed to go ba-dump-_

"EVE?"

Clove finds her giggling into the carpet with an empty bottle of tequila near her hip. "Are you fucking kidding me? THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR THIS!"

"HeeEeyyy, yer that yummy fella... Bun?" Eve slurred, flopping onto her back with a groan. "Dizzzyyyy..."

Clove slammed a hand to his face. "Fucking Christ, BRING ME THE EMERGENCY BAG!" He bellowed over his shoulder as he easily pinned Eve to the floor, straddling her waist and holding both her hands in one of his own.

"OooOoh, are we gonna do the funky chicken?" She waggled her eyebrows seductively- it looked like her face was spasming-and blew a kiss at Clove.

"Yer gonna regret this in a minute..."

Mace ran in, dropping the emergency bag beside the couch and looked over Eve. "Ya need the shot?"

"Yes."

"Whhhoooo boy, she is gonna be mighty pissed when she comes to. Wind her up and let her go?" Mace dug through the bag, retrieving a glowing green syringe before handing it to Clove.

"Are you gonna play with us too? LEYS GET _**HURK**_ -"

Clove depressed the plunger, watching as the veins of her throat take on a glowing green color before they returned to normal.

The dreamy look melted off her face as the magic went to work, zipping through her system and destroying the alcohol, leaving behind a sharp stinging in its wake.

Eve twitched under Cloves hold, realization sparking in her eyes as she regarded the others in the room.

"You fucks better have a damn-"

"There's blood in the lab and no Kenji, last place his signature showed was at the monster complex, we-" Clove crashed into the wall behind him, smashing through the drywall and crushing some pipes. "WAIT-"

Mace shook her head, packing away the used syringe. "Too late, might've wanted ta tell her after you let her go." Her chuckle was humorless as she regarded her uncle. "Those poor bastards won't know what hit 'em."

~Over with the skelebro's~

_Did I leave something in the oven again?_

Kenji bolted awake, vision blurry as he tried to make his way towards the smell of burning. "When did I get rugs?"

"HELLO KENJI, YOU SHOULDN'T BE UP YET, GO LAY BACK DOWN!" Sans was standing over a smoking pan in a destroyed kitchen.

_Man... it looks like when I tried to bake a cake..._

Kenji stared at him for a second before he took in the rest of his surroundings.

Ok, this obviously isn't my home... is this Sans's house? "Uhhh, where am I? And what are you burning?" _Should I be worried that you haven't noticed?_ He added silently.

Sans huffed and dragged him further into the kitchen, pushing him into a chair as he went back to the smoking pan. "PAPY BROUGHT YOU HERE AFTER YOU HAD A PANIC ATTACK? HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE YOU LIVED. AND I AM NOT BURNING ANYTHING! I AM MERELY PUTTING PASSION IN MY TACOS!"

_I'd like to put some passion in your- **CHANGE THE CONVERSATION**_

"So, uh, did anyone tell Eve where I went?" Please tell me they-

Papyrus appeared in the other chair, for once lacking his usual hoodie. "Nah, I don' think yer sis would even answer, was hittin' the bottle pretty hard..." He trailed off as Kenji's face flickered with panic. "Wha-"

"Did you tell anyone where I was? Sugar? Clove? Cinnamon? **ANYONE???** "

"Woah there boss, just-"

The lights began flickering as thunder clapped overhead. Kenji shrank into his seat, trembling. "Oh fuck, we're so screwed..."

Before Papyrus could ask what was going on, the front door was blown open, crashing into the wall. "KENJI?!"

"So fucked..."

The lights burst as Eve stepped into their living room, electricity sparking off her in waves. "Where the fuck is Kenji?" She growled, eyes snapping to Papyrus as he stepped into view.

Something niggled at the back of her mind, something about him being good, friend? No, she needed to get Kenji, she needed him to be safe.

_FRIEND! NOT ENEMY! DON'T KILL HIM!_

She pushed the voice away and sized the enemy up. She could feel his magic in the air, not as sharp as her own but holding an undefinable weight. "Where is Kenji?"

The enemy made no move, merely staring at her, sockets wide. "Ok kid, you just need ta-"

_Useless, he knows nothing..._

Her magic lashed out, ready to- "SORRY SIS"

**_CLANG!_ **

Kenji held his breath as Eve swayed for a moment before completely collapsing. "Heh, even your thick skull is no match for a frying pan." He sighed, dropping the pan and kneeling next to her prone form, checking to see if there was any blood.

He could still feel the magic in the air, and if anything it had gotten thicker. He turned towards the kitchen, seeing both brothers with matching expressions of disbelief and-

_Fear..._

_They were afraid..._

"Alright, I think it's time we explained a few things to you guys, you might want to grab the monarchy too, this involves them..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *wiggles back into hovel with snacks* Byyyeee~
> 
>  
> 
> https://ninathecrazy.tumblr.com/ come say hello~


	29. Forgiveness...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It isn't that easy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter really got away from me... oh well~
> 
> Warnings: Referenced past child abuse/murder/medical experimentation/overall violence

Eve's POV

_"What color is the sky?" I whispered, curling into her side as footsteps passed by our cell. "Like in the middle of the day? When the sun is super high."_

_She combed through my hair absently, gently untangling the larger knots. "Hmmm, you know the blue shots? The dark blue one is like a clear summer sky when the sun is just starting to go down. The lighter blue one is a cold winter afternoon, beautiful and icy."_

_She fell silent as they stepped past again, knowing that if they heard us we'd be punished. She pulled me into her chest, laying on her back and humming. "It's time to sleep, we gotta be strong for tomorrow's tests and-"_

_"Do you think I'll ever see the sun? Or the sky? Will you ever see them again?" I murmured, fists curling into the fabric of her gown._

_She didn't answer me for so long that I thought she had fallen asleep. As I started drifting off I thought I heard her whisper something._

_"You will, I..."_

I jerked awake with a snarl as the after-effects of the green magic surged through my system, making my bones burn and heart throb painfully. "Who the fu-"

"Welcome back sis..." Kenji waved the empty syringe in my face with a frown.

_Shit, aright, time to see what the damage is this time..._

"So... Who's dead and what was blown up, oh, and why are they dead and blown up?" What do I have to fix?

**_Maybe if you weren't such a fucking psycho this wouldn't happen..._ **

"You owe Sans and Papyrus a new door and wall. Plus I dented one of their pans with your head so you need to replace that as well..."

I groan and push myself up, idly noting I was in my bed at the apartment. "Alright, that's not so bad, I can get Clove over there to fix it tomorrow."

_Easily fixed, why was I-_

"You also have to explain to the monster monarchy why we have magic..."

_Fuck my life..._

I flop back to the mattress, digging through the blankets, trying to find a sucker. "You're staying here, I will not have you there when I explain. Have them meet me in the lab."

Kenji giggled nervously, shuffling through my drawers. "Oh yeah, totally should've done that..."

_Why?_

"They're here, aren't they?"

"Yep."

The voice comes from the doorway and before I could think I was already on my feet and pushing Kenji behind me. "Get out," I growl at Papyrus, ready to spring if he moved against us.

He put his hands up and backed up a step. "Your brother-"

Kenji cuts him off as he tugs on the back of my sweater. "She means her room, no one but the two of us are allowed in here, same goes with mine. Can you wait in the main room, please? We'll be out in a minute."

Papyrus looks between the two of us before shrugging and leaving.

"You need to calm down Eve, no one here wants to hurt you-"

"I'm not worried about me." I hiss, "I want you to stay behind me at all times, I can't trust them..."

"I know. Want to change real quick? You kinda smell like booze and anger."

"And you smell like blood and smoke. You can borrow one of my sweaters, I think I have a pair of Cloves sweatpants somewhere."

We strip and dress quickly, him in my borrowed clothes and me in a tank top, elbow length leather gloves, and a pair of harem pants.

Kenji eyed me as I quickly ran a brush through my hair, grumbling as it floofed out. "Are you sure you want to wear that? They'll see-"

"What? It's not like I have a reason to hide them now." I motioned for him to follow me as I grabbed a bag of suckers from under the mattress. "Let's get this over with."

I stepped from my room and quickly took in the small group.

The King and Queen took up to of the larger chairs and were quietly conversing with one another, the Queen looked irritated while the King seemed tired.

Undyne was asleep on Alphys lap in another chair, curled against her lover's chest and lightly snoring with a line of drool trailing down her chin.

Sans was admiring the kitchen, though his usual large eyelights were replaced with the much smaller pinpricks as they flicked over to us before looking back at the cookbooks,

And Papyrus stood at the top of the stairs, staring straight at me. "Good, yer finally up."

His words caught everyone's attention and they turned to regard us. Alphys carefully settled Undyne into the chair and stood behind the monarchs, who regarded us with guarded expressions.

I took a seat on the couch furthest from them and felt Kenji perch on the back of it. "Before we get to the reason you are all here I should say a few things. My name is Eve Rhyden, elder sister to Kenji Rhyden. This is my home, and though I did not welcome you here, you will come to no harm within these walls."

The King nodded while the Queen looked vaguely suspicious. "Kenji never mentioned a sister." The others looked away guiltily.

_Guess nobody thought to inform the monarchs?_

_Interesting..._

"He wouldn't. It's more advantageous for us to have everyone believe that he is the sole heir to the Rhyden name. I ask that after you leave here that you do not disclose anything that you learn." I popped a sucker into my mouth and handed another one to Kenji.

_Mmm orange..._

"And why would we do that? From what we've heard so far you could be a threat to us." The Queen pointed out, shifting in her seat.

I looked to Kenji, who just shrugged and propped his elbows on his knees before pulling out his phone. "I am sorry to say this, but had we wanted to harm any of you we would have already done so."

The monarchs tensed and Alphys growled. "Is that a threat?"

I waved my hand. "No, a fact, I control nearly sixty-eight percent of the city. Shall we move this along?" I crunched through the sucker and pulled out another.

They nodded and motioned for me to continue. "Good. We have magic, as you already know-"

Sans cut in from beside Papyrus. "KENJI HAS MAGIC AS WELL?"

"Yes, I'll explain why in a minute, please keep the interruptions to a minimum."

**Crunch**

_Grape this time!_

I looked at the Monarchs. "Were you alive during the war?"

_How blunt..._

They nodded and their expressions darkened. "Alright, My ancestors came from the old world to meet with you, for much the same reason as today, to further our technology by mixing it with magic."

The King nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I recall their Matron had wanted to speak with us about that, but before we could meet with her the war started. I was surprised that your name still persisted, and had grown so powerful, I can see why-"

I cut him off. "No, we weren't born with this. Anyways, our ancestors settled here after the war, just before the Purging. A time where every document and piece of monster history was systematically hunted down and destroyed. My ancestors saw this as a horrifying loss of knowledge and collected as much as they could."

**Crunch**

_Who the fuck made mango suckers?_

I scowl at the sucker and offer it to Kenji. "Here, you like weird ass flavors."

"It's mango.."

"It's disgusting." I hiss.

I grab another orange one before continuing. "They hid the documents, so well in fact that it wasn't until my mother stumbled upon them in a locked chest as a child that we ever learned of their existence."

"Where are they now? The documents? We would-"

"I destroyed them."

The room seemed to get colder as rage flashed in the Queens' eyes. "You destroyed them?! How dare you! Those were valuable pieces of our history!"

"They were instrumental in the deaths of over 38 children and 52 adults, not to mention the ones I don't know about," I growled, hands curling into fists. "So I'm really fucking sorry I couldn't stand keeping them around, just so you could have a little piece of history." I spit.

The monsters flinch away, going pale. "How-"

"The documents outlined several ways to awaken magical potential within a human. My mother and her brother spent most of their lives translating them and putting them to practice."

_**There's the horror, really now, are you randomly sprouting a second head?** _

_Shut up..._

Papyrus finally cleared his throat. "So when you said-"

"I was born to be a guinea pig. From the moment I was brought into the world, I was in the lab. Jabbed with needles and ripped open. My magic was made, not inherited."

Sans bolted for the bathroom, slamming the door closed.

Kenji flinched and sank into the sweater, scooting closer to me. "I'm not going to go into detail about what happened there. But They were able to figure out how to take out someone's soul and extract the traits."

Even greater horror at those words.

"They injected as many soul traits as they could into my soul and hoped for the best. It wasn't initially to create mages either, they were trying to create superhumans, something they were somewhat successful in."

_Fuck I need alcohol..._

"You were created, you didn't have a choice..." The King murmured sadly.

I blinked and looked at him in confusion. "That's not entirely true..."

"What about the scars? Where'd ya get them?" Alphys cut in, openly staring at my arms and shoulders.

 _Fuck it._ "Will you go grab me a bottle Ken? And if they want anything..."

He nodded and hopped off the couch, heading to the kitchen to grab drinks. "I was pitted against other experiments, not to mention that I heal at an advance rate, It makes it so that I scar easily."

It almost seemed like there were tears in the Kings eyes. "You were just a child..."

I shrugged and grabbed another sucker. "Yes, so were the other experiments. Don't feel pity for me, I'm the reason so many of the others are dead."

"What?" Alphys hissed, disgust clear in her voice.

Kenji came back with a tray full of various drinks, setting it on a table before handing me a bottle of something brown. "Thank you, you look worn out, why don't you go get some sleep in my bed for now? I'll wake you up later for something to eat."

_Go to bed so you don't have to hear this..._

He sighs in relief, ruffling my hair before heading to my room, shutting and locking the door behind him.

"You heard correct, Alphys. I was used to eradicate failed experiments. They also wanted to test out a theory they had about LV and EXP. Not to mention that they needed someone of similar DNA so they could get Kenji 'right'."

Alphys launched herself across the room, the axe in her hand held against my throat in the span of a second. "You're a fucking MURDERER!"

I raised an eyebrow, pushing down the urge to react. "Yes."

"Tell me why I shouldn't-"

"STAND DOWN ALPHYS!" Asgore roared, suddenly on his feet, chest heaving.

She immediately steps away, letting her axe swing to her side.

I look past her, curious as to why he would stop what most likely could have been my execution.

_I deserved it, why stop her?_

_ Your will to live is astounding... _

The King made his way across the room to stand in front of me, easily towering over my seated form. "You were a child." He growled, anger flashing through his dark eyes.

_For a man in a sleep shirt that says 'I got your goat', he's pretty intimidating..._

"I was fully aware of my actions seventy-three percent of the time. Don't make excuses for me. I know exactly what I've done and I accept the consequences." I snarled, ripping the top off the bottle before taking a hardy gulp.

_Bicardi, he spoils me..._

**_Or he realizes that a drunk you is less violent?_ **

_Potato, guacamole..._

My tone startles him and he takes a step back, eyes wide and suddenly very sad. Papyrus pats him on the shoulder and glances down at me. "Why'd ya try to kill me?"

_Goddamnit..._

"I tried to kill you? What'd you do?" Another gulp followed by pleasant warmth.

The King looks to Papyrus, well, everyone was looking at Papyrus now. "I brought Kenji to our place because he passed out after I tried to heal his hand, somehow got glass in it."

I tsk. "Did you tell anybody where he was?"

"No..."

I nodded and grabbed another sucker. "Yeah, you fucked up dude. First off, don't use green magic around Kenji-"

"WHY?" Jesus Christ where did he come from?

I peered around Papyrus and Alphys to see Sans looking better, but still by the bathroom door. "It brings back traumatic memories from his childhood."

"OH..."

Undyne's voice suddenly cut into the conversation. "How c-can green magic be traumatic? Its purpose is healing, I-I don't unders-stand."

"When Kenji was Five he was almost killed by a rogue experiment. They saved him by pumping raw, undiluted, green magic straight into his soul. Let me tell you, that shit is hell..."

_**Do they have any other expressions besides horror and disgust?** _

"Anyways, you didn't tell anyone where he went, probably left blood in the lab too, so they came to my house and very rudely sobered me up and told me Kenji was missing. We knew his location cause he's got a tiny chip in his skull that lets us know where he is."

Alphys makes a noise similar to a pencil in a garbage disposal. "Thats fucking sick-"

I cut her off with a scoff. "Why? I have one as well. It's saved his life and mine on more than one occasion. If all you're going to do is tell me how sick and horrible we are then you can get the fuck out. I don't need your shit."

_Fuck this, I don't owe them shit!_

I stand and storm to the kitchen, slamming open cabinets and ripping out all the ingredients needed to make crepes. I listen to rustling and near silent whispers filtering in from the main room as I measure out the ingredients.

**_Again, what did you expect? They think you're an abomination..._ **

_I think I'm an abomination..._

_You're both incredibly depressing..._

I whisk the batter together and set it aside before grabbing an apple and banana from the fruit basket and chop them up.

As I'm pouring the batter into the pan the whispering stops and soft footsteps enter the kitchen.

I ignore the new presence in favor of grabbing a plate to put the finished crepes on and bowls for the toppings. Whoever it is shuffles their feet and clears their throat, trying to get my attention.

_Ignore the problem and hope it goes away..._

"Miss Rhyden, I-"

I cut the King off. "Eve."

_Ok, the problem didn't go away..._

He chuckles nervously. "Eve, I would like to apologize for the Captain, she was just..." He trails off, clearly trying to find a way to excuse her behavior. "Shocked. We never expected to find humans with magic still on the surface, and none with such, violent, history."

"History is full of humanity being violent, we're trash. Is there something you wanted?"

He moves into my line of sight, hunching his shoulder and slouching against the counter like he was trying to make himself smaller. "I wanted to apologize for the way you've been treated thus far. You were willing to bare your past to us and we responded with such, negativity." He took a breath and ran a paw through his beard. "It was callous of us. But we couldn't understand how someone could do that to a child, to children. It is also quite... painful, to think of what you were forced to do."

**_Bleeding heart..._ **

I shrugged and plated another crepe. "You're still making excuses for my actions," I observe, finally looking at him. "But the truth is, I still chose to do what I did. I could have refused at any time, but I was a coward, I wanted to live."

**_I wanted to see the sky..._ **

_The flowers..._

_The sun..._

"You were just a child."

"I am a murderer. Do you know what I was going to do had Kenji not stopped me? I would have destroyed the entire complex, not giving a single thought to the innocent lives inside. I've done it before, and I have no doubt I will do it again." I look him in the eye and try to make him understand just how much of a monster I really am.

Before I could blink he was lifting me, cradling me to his chest, arms barring me from escape but also incredibly gentle.

_He could damn well crush me if he felt like it..._

I thrashed weakly, barely using any of my strength, not really wanting to run the risk of hurting him, even by accident.

I stilled as something wet dripped onto my shoulder, barely soaked up by the strap of my tank top, before another fell into my hair.

_What?_

I looked up into the gleaming eyes of the Monster King as his tears rolled down his muzzle and fell onto me. "It's not your fault."

"Put me down!" I growl, only to be held tighter. "I mean It! Put me down!"

"None of it is your fault."

"I'm a murderer!"

"You are what you were made to be, that is not your fault."

"I killed CHILDREN!" I snarled, baring my teeth.

"You survived!" He growled back, tears still falling from his eyes.

His arms tighten around me and I... I whimpered.

Kenji gave me hugs all the time and the Spyce clan were nothing if not affectionate, but nothing like this. This felt like comfort and warmth and...

Forgiveness...

"I-I..."

"Shhh, it is alright my child, it is not your fault. We will not judge you, I will not judge you. Sometimes... sometimes life is war and there will be casualties. You must learn to forgive yourself."

"I don't deserve forgiveness." I murmur, curling into myself.

"Do you really believe that?"

_Yes, how can I ever forgive myself? Not for what I've done, not for what I will do._

_I don't deserve this..._

I fell completely limp, resting my head against his plush chest. "You don't understand..." I whispered.

"I understand better than you might think." He muttered back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Well here ya go, a look into why Eve is the way she is. Can she really be forgiven? Dunno! But I just love angst! 
> 
> Also, I never really got how both Asgore and Toriel were in the war and never gained any LOVE, so here's Asgore with regrets! 
> 
> ~back into my hovel with art crap~ Bye bye!
> 
> https://ninathecrazy.tumblr.com/ <\--- Come say hello!


	30. Don't piss off Kenji...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, the boy is a BOMB

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Crawls from the anime hell I've been thrust into* heeeey~ here's another chapter~
> 
> No Warnings~

Third person POV

Eve finally forced Asgore to let go of her as the smell of burnt crepe started wafting from the still hot pan.

He stayed in the kitchen though, watching as she efficiently dumped the ruined crepe and got a new pan, quickly pouring more batter before searching through the cabinets for more toppings. "Who taught you to cook?"

She flinched and ignored him, carefully arranging the bowls of toppings onto a tray. "Will you all be staying for breakfast?"

He nodded and leaned against the fridge, looking over the kitchen and taking in the sagging shelves filled with cookbooks. "Does Kenji like to cook?"

"He tried to cook a meatloaf before and somehow it crawled away." She replied grimly, "He's not allowed to cook without me anymore, he still does, it just never ends well."

Asgore bleated out a laugh, slapping a hand over his muzzle and blushing bright enough to see through his fur. "That is quite... interesting? Have you tried to give him lessons? With the way he seems to absorb knowledge he could very well benefit from some good teaching."

Eve chuckled darkly. "I tried to teach him how to make boxed mac n' cheese, he somehow turned the noodles green and the sauce brown. It also smelled strongly of pine needles..."

Realization lit in Asgores eyes and he chuckled. "It seems your brother unknowingly tried to infuse his magic into the food, given that he is human and has stronger magic than most monsters, he would tend to ruin his food..."

Eve paused, slowly nodding in agreement. "That, makes sense? I think? His magic does smell like pine... Why hadn't I figured it out before? Strange..."

She plated the rest of the crepes and set them on the tray next to the toppings, going back to another cabinet to grab a stack of plates and a handful of forks. "Alright, time to feed you all, Kenji can explain the rest..."

Asgore tried to take the obviously heavy tray, stopping as Eve easily lifted it onto her hip and made her way back into the living room.

Papyrus's attention was immediately on Eve as she hefted the full tray from the kitchen, the tower of crepes almost reaching her shoulder and swaying dangerously. "Go ahead and help yourselves, Kenji will be out in a minute if you have any questions for him."

Papyrus grabbed the honey from the tray and went back to sitting on the stairs. "You never answered why you tried to kill me."

Eve retreated back to her couch as everyone else grabbed plates. "I don't remember anything between me being very rudely sobered up and Kenji waking me. It's happened before, me blacking out, it usually ends with a greater level of destruction though..."

_Foods ready, stop snooping..._

The door was flung open. "I was **NOT** snooping thank you very much." He huffed with false hurt, ruffling her hair as he ambled past to the tray of food.

Sans grabbed a plate of food and, completely ignoring his brother's warning glare, plopped down onto the cushion next to Eve. "Why Do You Think That Happens? Blacking Out?"

She blinked at him, face scrunching as she thought. "Kenji and I have talked it over and the best answer we can think of is that I'm subconsciously trying to protect myself from remembering."

Alphys scoffed and Kenji stiffened at the sound. "Why's that? Not like ya haven't before."

Kenji went rigid, fingers tightening on the plate in his hands until a sharp snap filled the room. Everyone's attention immediately shifted to him as he began shaking. "The taking of a life leaves a hell within the soul that is inescapable, how dare you accuse her of being remorseless."

Alphys seemed to shrink under his withering glare. "I didn't mean-"

"Your words were callous and fallacious and I will be damned if I just stand here and let you slander my sister." Kenji snarled, dropping the remnants of his plate.

"She's a _MURDERER!_ She's said so herself!" Alphys defended, clawed fingers curling into fists at her side.

His face darkened, and Alphys felt a thrill of fear in her soul. "It would be wise of you to never associate that word with my sister again." He murmured as the air around him heated.

Alphys grit her teeth, not one to be intimidated. "Then what should I call her? Butcher? Killer? _Executioner_?!"

Eve was immediately behind Kenji, yanking him back by his shirt and pressing a hand to his throat.

He dropped and she easily scooped him up and settled him into a chair. "Congratulations, you almost killed everyone in this room, if not the entire building, hope you're really proud of yourself. Papyrus, get everyone out before he wakes up."

Everyone just stared at her as if she was spouting gibberish. Sans was by Kenji's side in an instant, checking over him. "I Don't Understand, Why Did You Attack Him?"

Eve huffed and picked up the ruined plate. "He'll be fine, if I hadn't knocked him out he would've lost his temper on lizard breath over here and killed everyone."

Asgore nodded stiffly and motioned for Papyrus to start taking the others home. "His magic, it is fire?"

Eve shrugged. "He wields several forms of magic, fire isn't one he use's willingly..."

"Kid's terrified of it," Papyrus added before he disappeared with Alphys and Undyne.

"There is also that. I'm terribly sorry that the situation devolved into this," she fished out her phone and sent a quick message. "If you wish to learn more than you are more than welcome to contact Kenji. Please refrain from bringing the Captain."

Toriel took a step towards Kenji and Eve tensed. "I mean him no harm, I simply wish to offer my assistance. I also wield fire magic, if he would like I could teach him-"

Eve waved a hand, cutting her off. "How very kind of you your majesty, but it's not something he'll ever willingly train, I think he's still hoping that it'll become weak with disuse." Eve picked him up, causing Sans to make a noise of complaint. "I will not lie, this was all highly unpleasant, but perhaps we could meet again under better conditions, may we see each other once more."

They nodded as Papyrus popped up in between them and popped away again.

Sans watched as Eve stumbled over to the door covered in a myriad of things and opened it, disappearing into the darkness of the room beyond, cursing randomly.

He sank into a chair, staring down at his hands; they looked too small without his usual gloves to cushion them, it made him feel anxious.

He needed to look strong at all times, not just for himself, but for Papyrus and Alphys and all his friends, he needed to show that they didn't need to worry about him because he was just fine...

But it hurt, realizing that Kenji was doing the same, so was Eve in a way, and they had suffered so much more than he could ever imagine.

_Is it really good to still be doing this? To be acting this way? It can't be good for me..._

Eve had called him out on it, was it because she was the same? Or because she knew Kenji so well that she could see his behavior in others?

He started as a gloved hand lightly patted his skull. He looked up to see Eve looking slightly uncomfortable as she pulled her hand away. "You ok Sans? It looked like you were thinking pretty deeply."

He perked up and gave her a bright smile, and immediately wilted back into his seat as she frowned disapprovingly. "I am... no, I'm not ok, I was thinking about what you told us today and how strong you both are." He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his sockets. "And I realized that I may not be as magnificent as I like to think..."

"Bullshit."

He blinked and whipped his head up to meet her scowling gaze. "That is such utter bullshit. Where the fuck do you even get an idea like that?"

"Language." He muttered weakly, shrinking under her blazing eyes.

"English, answer the question."

Sans fiddled with his hands nervously. "You both, you're so strong and you went through so much and you don't seem to really like yourselves. How can I call myself magnificent if I haven't done anything?"

Eve stayed quiet, kneeling before him and lightly knocking her knuckles against his forehead. "You sir are a _magnificent dumbass_. You're not us and saying that all the things you faced are meaningless is like saying everyone that helped you along the way meant nothing."

He flinched and glared at her. "THAT'S NOT TRUE!"

"Then shut up and stop being an idiot. You are The Magnificent Sans." She patted his knee and stood, cleaning up all the abandoned dishes and toting them to the kitchen, before pausing and glancing back at him. "Ya know, I wouldn't mind hanging out with you sometime, outside of training..."

She hurried into the kitchen before he could say anything, or do anything, and started washing the dishes. The somewhat familiar pulse of magic signaled Papyruses arrival, followed swiftly by another surge as he grabbed Sans and left.

Eve sucked in a breath and shut off the water, before giggling hysterically and slumping to the kitchen floor.

"Oh, oh shit, this is the most fucked up situation, I did not prepare for this..." She lied on her back, still faintly giggling.

_What the hell do we do now?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure how I feel about this chapter, but it was something that needed to happen, CONGRATS ON MAKING IT THIS FAR, SHITS ABOUT TO GET GOOD~
> 
> Welp, back to anime hell and insomnia *waves from hovel* bye~


	31. Watch where your goin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or you you might see... something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi~ Tis I! The blanket QUEEN... I need sleep...
> 
> No warnings for this chapter guys! 
> 
> But we're definitely getting past the slow burn crap!

Eve's POV

_I'm so fucking bored..._

I'd had to close the shop for a week due to a burst pipe in the back and the subsequent cleanup that the shop would need.

I tossed the shears to the side and stripped off the thicker gardening gloves and hung them up, making sure to reset the sprinklers before nearly slamming the greenhouse door behind me.

All the paperwork was done, taxes filed, no new reports to go through, even the Barsotti had been surprisingly silent...

**_It's like you want something awful to happen..._ **

_Shut it, I'm just really bored_

_You offered to spend time with Sans, yet it's been nearly three weeks and you've not seen him outside of training..._

I nodded, grabbing my phone off the couch as I passed by.

I should shower first, then I'll ask him to go shopping with me, maybe even suggest he come over for cooking lessons, did he ever say what his favorite food was?

I shot him a quick text and hopped into the shower, hissing at the cool temperature.

_Great, water heaters busted again, I'll fix it eventually..._

_ So lazy! _

I tsked and quickly scrubbed myself down, scrambling from the tub as the water went from lukewarm to freezing in an instant.

I checked my phone as I used one hand to dry my hair.

**2:38 Sans (Consolida)**

**I WOULD MOST CERTAINLY LOVE TO HANG OUT! I WILL BE OVER AT 3!**

I chuckled and typed out a quick ok before stepping out into the hall. I still had around twenty minutes, so I headed to the kitchen to grab a drink before I got dressed.

_Fuck the fridge, it's fucking cold, why hasn't anyone invented permanently cold soda cans yet?_

I slammed the fridge shut as Papyrus appeared in the kitchen doorway.

_OH SHIT!_

I froze as he stared at me, hand clutching his phone before his face burst with orange magic and he crashed to the floor.

"OH FOR FUCKS SAKE!" I bolted, hopping over his prone form and sprinted for my bedroom.

**_This is an amazing day!_ **

_Fuck off!_

I threw on a pair of underwear and dug through the dresser for my binders, hissing in annoyance as my search came up empty. I give in and grab one of the more neutral bras Sugar so graciously gifted me.

_I swear to god that woman wants to torture me..._

By the time I was fully dressed my room looked like a tornado went through and...

_Where the hell did I get an orange hoody from?_

It's peeking out from the corner of my mattress and as I yank it out it releases the smell of honey, cigarettes, and motor oil.

_Oook..._

I tuck the hoody under my arm and peek into the living room, noting that he still seemed to be passed out in the kitchen doorway.

I tiptoed to his side, nudging him with my foot, no response.

**_Oh, I KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!_ **

I'm somewhat ashamed to say that Sans burst in on me as I decorated his brother's skull in various cosmetic products.

_Fuck we're caught..._

Sans looked at us, raising a browbone in question but not exactly telling me to stop. "What did he do?"

_I like him..._

I shrugged and applied a touch of pale pink to his still flushed cheeks, frowning as it clashed. "He decided to pop in unannounced and got a socket full. Damn, I know I look like shit but does he really need to faint?" I grumble, wiping off the blush and switching it for an orange eyeshadow.

Sans snorted and plopped beside me, grabbing a brush and the blue eyeshadow. "I don't think that's why he fainted..."

I hummed and glued some fake lashes to his eyelid. "Is he low on magic then? Or sick? He still seems a bit flushed..."

Sans reaches past me for the eyeliner, expertly adding flawless wings. "I highly doubt it." He added a beauty mark above his teeth and smirked, whipping out his phone to take a few shots of our masterpiece. "Ready for shopping?"

I shrugged, jamming all the beauty products back into their bag. "We just gonna leave him here?"

"Yup."

"Alright, after you."

 

Papyrus's POV

Kenji was sprawled across his workstation, a Lego robot beeping at him as it rammed into his head. "Boss?"

He blinked up at me and waved. "No work today, my brain is dumb and I'm tired." He let his head thump back to the table, flicking the robot until it rolled away.

_What am I even being paid for?_

"Ya know boss, it's a miracle we get anythin' done with how often you cancel work." I pointed out, grabbing a sucker out of Eve's candy jar.

He groaned and slumped from his chair to the floor. "Not the only scientists here, the entire 47th floor is filled with 'em, I just send over my notes and what not and they finish them, I mainly work on my own things up here..." He trailed off, eyes drooping until he basically melted into the floor and fell asleep.

_Damn kid, kinda impressed..._

Undyne sighed and started neatly stacking the papers on his desk. "That's the th-third time this week..."

I nodded, offering my hand and popping her back home before coming back for Kenji.

I doublechecked everything before hefting him over my shoulder and popping into his living room before settling him on one of the bigger couches.

I pulled a blanket off the back of it and tossed it over him, chuckling softly as he snuggled into.

_Keep forgetting he's still just a kid..._

His hand shoots out and he snags my sleeve. "Tell sis 'm home an' sleepin'." He mumbled, quickly retreating back into his blanket.

I click my teeth around a sucker and fished out my phone as I stepped into the void, clicking through my contacts in search for her number.

_Do I really not have it? Wait... did she even give me her number?_

Stepping out of the void, I was met with a fridge door slamming and...

_Oh **stars**_

I was in Eve's kitchen, staring at a very naked Eve, who was just staring back and-

My bones lit with magic as my eyelights guttered out, darkness eating my vision before I collided with the floor.

She yelled something before I felt the air over me being displaced and the sound of her door slamming.

_Oh stars, holy shit, she was naked, completely naked! Why was she in the kitchen naked?!_

Sure, I'd seen naked humans before, what with all the nasty magazines that had fallen into the dump, so what made her any different?

She looked so small and in the light of the kitchen, her scars made her seem delicate and ethereal, not to mention how her skin rippled over the muscle underneath...

And the way her iliac crests lightly pressed up against her skin was downright _sinful..._

Her door creaked open again and I forced my eyelids shut, feigning unconsciousness as she came closer, unable to complete expel the magic that was humming a little too far south.

_At least I wore my baggier hoody..._

She wavered over me for a moment before leaving, returning a minute later and sitting next to me.

_This is it, she's going to kill me and use my dust to fertilize her roses, didn' even get ta have another cigarette or-_

Her fingers hesitantly slid over my zygomatic arches and it took more control than I'd have thought not to move into her touch.

_This is fucked, this is so **fucked** , what is she even doing?_

The sound of a zipper was thunderous in the nearly silent room and my soul seized with nerves.

**_WHAT THE FU-_ **

The soft sweep of a brush and something cold against my mandible nearly made me blow my cover as I forced down my reactive wince. It wasn't until the faint smell of powdery flowers overtook my senses did I realize what was going on.

_Fucking **MAKE-UP?** She truly is evil..._

She hummed softly as she spread the stuff over the rest of my skull, dabbing lightly against my eyelids.

The door slammed open and Sans magic washed through the room, making Eve freeze as in her motions.

_I'm saved, maybe he'll-_

"What did he do?"

_Nevermind..._

He settles next to Eve and rummages through her bag of torture while Eve brushes something powdery under my sockets. "He decided to pop in unannounced and got a socket full. Damn, I know I look like shit but does he really need to faint?"

_...does she really think that?_

Sans starts brushing something across my eyelids. "I don't think that's why he fainted..."

_I gotta look like a pumpkin by now..._

"Is he low on magic then? Or sick? He still seems a bit flushed..." _Oh, I'm definitely sick, just not in the way you're thinking..._

Sans snorted and added something wet to my eyelids. "I highly doubt that." _Wow bro, can you be more sarcastic?_

The click of his phone had me tensing. _Oh fuuuck..._

"Ready to go?" _Oh, now you're ready you evil brat, after you've gotten your blackmail, I see how it is..._

"We just gonna leave him here?"

"Yup."

"Alright, after you."

I waited for Sanses magic to fade before even attempting to move. I cracked a socket and peered towards the front door, when it was obvious that they wouldn't be back I groaned and sat up. "Stars..."

My magic was still humming unpleasantly and my face tingled.

Before I could think of teleporting out my phone buzzed from where it had fallen next to me.

**3:14 Sansational**

**I'M DISAPPOINTED IN YOU. I EXPECT THE DISHES TO BE DONE BY THE TIME I GET HOME OR I'M SENDING THE PICTURES TO EVERYONE. LOVE YOU!**

**P.S. YOUR MAGIC WAS SHOWING, I DON'T THINK SHE NOTICED ;P**

  
_You little shit... heh, actually kinda proud..._

_Fuck this is embarrassing... why is one of my hoodies on the couch?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus you naughty boy! And Sans... you are definitely a shit lol.
> 
> I am off to steal more blankets for my hovel, PEACE!
> 
>  
> 
> https://ninabeena97.tumblr.com/ come talk ta me over at my tumblr, NSFW just in case ;P


	32. Friends?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something that Eve might accept one of these days...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love me some platonic bonding, that shit is nice!
> 
> No warnings!

Third person POV

The Market, very creatively named by the couple who owned it, was fairly empty for this time of day as Sans and Eve strolled through its doors, debating on what they were going to cook together.

"YOU'RE INSANE! CLEARLY, TACOS ARE THE MOST SUPERIOR FOOD THERE IS!" Sans cried, flailing his arms while Eve dodged.

"Then you obviously never tried cake-"

"THAT DOESN'T COUNT AS A FOOD!"

Eve chuckled as she waved to Mrs. Adley behind the counter. "It is, in fact, a food. I'm not sure what it would be if it wasn't..." She grabbed two bags and handed one to Sans. "I've got an idea. You get all the ingredients for whatever you want to cook while I do the same. We'll reconvene at the front and sort out what we got at my place. Sound good?"

He nodded and took off, almost leaving skid marks. Eve smiled softly and made her way to the baking aisle at a more sedate pace. "What I wouldn't give to be so damn hyper... Nevermind, so much chaos." She shuddered.

Sans flitted between aisles, filling his bag with all the necessary items: meat, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and Glitter! Though, they didn't sell the NTT brand, so he had to grab the regular kind.

As he decided between gold glitter and silver he noticed a little kid wandering between the aisles, looking on the verge of tears.

_Were they lost?_

He stepped towards them, more than ready to help the poor child, when Eve was suddenly by the child's side. Sans ducked behind a barrel full of glue bottles, peeking over the edge to watch them.

"Hello child, what are you doing wandering by yourself?" The voice she was using was the same as the night she walked him home, it made her sound so kind, trustworthy...

The child sniffled and hugged themselves. "I don't know where my mama is..."

Eve cooed softly and drew a sucker out of her pocket. "Alright, why don't we go see Mrs. Adley? She's the owner of this place and she can call for your mama. Do you want a sucker?"

The child shook their head but inched closer. "Mama said not to take candy from strangers..."

Eve nodded solemnly and stowed the sweet. "You are very smart for remembering that. Come now child, we'll find your mama. I bet she'll be so happy to see you again."

Eve sighs as the child grabs her hand, and slowly leads them to the front. How could somebody just lose their child? Granted, the store was a bit strange in layout, maybe the child had wandered off by accident...

"My name is Eve, may I know yours?" She smiled as the child shyly smiled back.

"My name is Alex, you have really pretty gloves." They blushed as their other hand came up to pet over the leather.

"Thank you Alex, my brother gave them to me as a gift."

The kid perked up. "You got a brother? I always wanted a brother. Is he your older brother? Does he beat up bullies? That'd be so cool! I have a friend who gets bullied and I scare them away so I'm kinda like a big brother." They smiled wide as they puffed out their chest with pride.

Eve chuckled. "It's not nice to beat people up, you should try telling the adults first."

They nodded seriously. "That's what mama says."

Eve waited for Mrs. Adley to call the mother up to the front before she slipped away, leaving a sucker in the hand that had held hers.

She went back to her shopping, not really noticing that Sans had been following her the entire time, watching as she interacted with the child.

He honestly didn't expect her to be so... docile. He wondered briefly if that was how she really was under all the scariness and quiet violence.

He grabbed a bag of tortillas and headed for the front, much more subdued as he thought over her encounter with the child.

Despite her past, or maybe because of it, she seemed to be very gentle with children. Chara had spoken of how she'd driven away their attackers and patched them up, even giving them a new pair of pants to wear.

_Was she always this way with children?_

Eve was waiting by the register, ready to leave after he'd paid for his items. "Since I initiated the hang-out, I'm going to pay for the ingredients." She supplied as she handed over a card for Mrs. Adley to swipe.

Sans nodded, making a mental note to write a list of things they could do for their next hang-out. "Does that mean I can pick next time?"

Eve paused, realizing he thought he didn't get a choice. "Of course, you can ask me to hang whenever you're free, I tend to have a very open schedule so you don't always have to wait for me to text first."

His grin widened and the stars in his eyes glittered. "OK!"

They passed the park and Sans saw as a man gave a girl a bouquet of orange lilies, tugging on Eve's sleeve and silently pointing them out. While he thought the gesture was sweet she just shook her head. "Did you not think him sweet?"

She shrugged. "It was, but his choice of flowers is poor." She pulled him to a stop as they watched the girl squeal and hug the man.

Sans furrowed his browbones in confusion. "She seems to really like them though..."

"Then she doesn't know what they mean. Orange lilies represent things like hate, disdain, and pride. It's hardly a flower you'd give to someone you like."

Sans shrugged and started walking again. "Not everyone seems to have your knowledge of flowers, maybe they're her favorite, even if they mean unpleasant things." He eyed her as she kept pace by his side. "What's your favorite flower?"

"I suppose you're right, you don't have to know the meaning to love the flower, sometimes it doesn't matter in the least."

  
~Time skip~

  
When they returned Papyrus was nowhere to be found but the hoody Eve had left on the back of the couch was still there as well as a slight shift in the environment overall.

Eve set her groceries on the counter and went back out into the living room, eye twitching as she tried to pinpoint what it was that was different.

_But nothing looked different..._

**_Whatever, time to get cooking!_ **

Sans was already laying his ingredients out in neat little piles and humming softly. He had set her bags aside and left her space to work. "I will be making my MAGNIFICENT TACOS! What have you decided on making?"

She took stock of the things he had carefully laid out; ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, an onion, glitter-

_So I hadn't imagined the sequins last time..._

"Well, I'm making an old favorite of Kenji's; Chicken Fajitas." She pulled out her own ingredients; chicken, peppers, limes, an onion, and crumbly feta cheese. "Here's what we're going to do since my kitchen isn't large enough for both of us to cook at the same time, we'll take turns. Would you like to go first?"

He nods excitedly and shoos Eve to the small dining table she kept in the corner. "PREPARE TO WATCH A MASTER AT WORK!" He paused before looking around sheepishly. "Can you tell me where you keep your pans and spices?"

As soon as she pointed them out he was a whirlwind of activity as cabinets were slammed open, spices and pans clattered to the counter before the stove almost erupted with flames.

Eve just watched on and felt only mildly worried about the intensity of the flames while also staring in awe at the way he prepared his vegetables.

He demolished them...

The tomato and lettuce mush was scraped into separate bowls while the peppers were tossed into the pan with the meat that was quickly becoming black.

She ran a hand over her eyes and smirked, if Kenji's cooking hadn't killed her yet she doubted Sans would now, though, maybe she should say something about the glitter? "Sans, you do know that humans are unable to digest glitter?"

He froze before he could finish dumping the second tube of glitter into the lightly smoking pan. "Yesss?"

_Who taught him how to cook?_

**_Does this mean that monsters can digest glitter?_ **

Eve snorted. "It's alright, Ken and I are pretty hardy you just can't add that much glitter to a normal humans tacos, and they do make completely edible glitter. I used to get it for Ken."

Sans perked at the mention of Kenji and started plating his creation. "Does Kenji like to cook too?"

Eve shudders. "That boy can't cook to save his life, I've tried to teach him, but it always ends up... indescribable." She takes the plate Sans offers her and takes a careful look at his 'Masterpiece'.

_It... looked like a normal taco actually, if you looked past the way it sparkled, and it even smelled pretty good..._

She waited for Sans to take a bite before taking one herself, immediately wishing she had a glass of something to wash down the overwhelming grittiness of the glitter, not to mention the way the meat was both crunchy and undercooked. The lettuce and tomato were a whole other story... "Alright..." She trailed off, taking in the way his shoulders tensed. "These are edible, but I think they can be improved upon."

_Sans blinked, she... she didn't compliment him. She didn't tell him that they were the best or that she could never make them as good. She was honest and told him he could improve upon his recipe..._

He grabbed Eves hand and beamed at her. "THANK YOU!"

"What?" _Dear gods, we broke him..._

"NOBODY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE BAD! THEY ALL COMPLIMENT ME AND THROW THE REST AWAY... it's actually really hurtful."

Eve tsked and shoved the rest of the taco into her mouth, not one to waste food. _Do they really coddle him that much? What? Do they expect him to remain a cute little blueberry for the rest of his life?_

She dusted off her hands and grabbed a soda and a bottle of water. "You should talk to them Sans, I used to do the same with Kenji, didn't even realize it was hurting him until he told me. Maybe it's the same, they want to protect you but are unaware that they are harming you." She downed the soda and went to shove his mess into the sink for later. "Want me to teach you how to make fajitas?"

He agreed and she spent the next hour teaching him the proper way to cut vegetables, not pound them into mush, how to heat a pan and cook the meat without scorching it, having to also teach him that you needed to cook the meat all the way through so it was safe to eat. She taught him how to mix and match spices without overwhelming the natural flavor of the other ingredients.

She didn't realize that she had been smiling almost the entire time.

The finished product was photographed and quickly devoured by a wide-eyed Sans. "CAN I TAKE THE LEFTOVERS? I WANT TO SHARE THEM."

She chuckled. "Of course, this was fun, I didn't expect it to be..." She confessed, cleaning up the mess on the counters and organizing the dishes.

Sans smiled softly and nodded. "It really was, do you think I can get more cooking lessons?"

Eve paused in her movements, face resolute. "Yes, every Sunday, and if you come early I'll-" she cleared her throat and met his eyelights. "I'll even start teaching you how to defend yourself."

"You mean-"

She nodded firmly. "I will attack and you will defend, but I don't want others to know, not even Kenji."

He agreed, feeling only a twinge of guilt at leaving his brother in the dark.

_But wasn't that what Paps did to him all the time? Hiding secrets?_

"Good, why don't you start heading out while it's still bright? Wouldn't want you getting lost again." She joked, lightly prodding his arm and handing him a Tupperware full of food.

He pulled her into a quick hug, arms loosening as she stiffened. "Thank you, Eve, you are truly amazing."

She patted his arm and wiggled out of the hug. "Eh, what are friends for?"

This time the hug squeezed the air from her lungs and she let out a startled laugh.

_Guess I gotta get used to that..._

~~~

Gaster was going about his usual business at the bookstore when his phone chimed softly from somewhere among the bookshelves. "Oh sugar, where'd I put it this time?"

He found it between two books in the children's section, suspecting it may have to do with a certain red-cheeked child who was giggling with their little friend over in the gardening section.

_Tricky little devil..._

He chuckled as they winked at him before going back to their friend, pointing out a couple books they could look over together and dragging the little girl over to their favorite reading spot.

Gaster trailed back to the register before checking his phone, smiling when he realized it was a group of pictures from Sans, all of which consisted of Eve looking focused as she put makeup on his seemingly unconscious eldest son.

_Stars that boy is devious, I wonder if I'm allowed-_

  
**New Message:**

**3:15 p.m. Sansy~**

**YOU'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO SHOW GRILLBY, I KNOW YOU WOULD ANYWAYS.**

  
Gaster giggled and did just that, sending the best of the bunch to his fiery boyfriend before setting the phone to silent and greeting a new customer.

He knew all about Miss Eve, what with the way Sans was always talking about her and her younger sibling, and while he was disturbed by her history he couldn't help but feel a sort of soft affection for her. It wasn't that hard seeing how highly everyone praised them; Eve for her beautiful flowers and perfect manners, Kenji for his amazing intelligence and selfless work in aiding the monsters, their past didn't change how he saw them now.

He wondered if he would ever be formally introduced to his son's new friends, but decided not to push it. While Sans was enthusiastic in regards to them, Papyrus was reserved and didn't want to get attached.

_Always my little worrywort~_

His phone buzzed with another message as he started to close up the shop for the night.

_More pictures? I wonder-_

Eve stood at the stove with an apron tied around her waist, her usual sweater gone in favor of an oversized tank top that revealed the scarring his youngest had told him about.

She was backlit by the sun, cheeks flushed from whatever she was cooking and an easy smile stretching her lips. She looked softer, almost like-

  
**6:48 p.m. Sansy~**

**Doesn't She Look Happy?**

  
Gaster had to agree, quickly sending the picture to Grillby so they could fawn over the new addition to their little ragtag family.

_It was only a matter of time before she joined, Sans is like that. Now, how do I get Papyrus to stop being such a negative Nancy?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *slinks back to hovel with a big ass stash of food* Sorry to say but I won't be updating next week, I have a lot of things I gotta catch up on not to mention sleep is definitely something a human needs.
> 
> https://ninabeena97.tumblr.com/ <\--- Come visit my NSFW hovel~
> 
> ALSO! Thanks to theMonk009 for inspiring the ending and all the lovely comments they leave me~


	33. It's just a prank bro...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenji doesn't prank well...
> 
> Warnings: Torture, implied torture, implied murder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I've started duper adulting and it freaking sucks lol. Due to me getting a job and still having a house to run I wont be able to update every Tuesday, which freaking sucks! So I'll be posting every other Tuesday.
> 
> Thank you to themonk009 for being my beta, go check out their story, it's so awesome!

Third person POV

Kenji waved to Undyne and Papyrus as they disappeared from the lab, waiting a few moments before sprinting to the exit door and peeking into the stairwell, letting out a soft whistle.

The whistle was returned and Sans came barreling up the rest of the stairs and into the lab, nearly ramming into Kenji in his haste. "It's Great Seeing You Again Kenji! I Brought The Requested Items." He wiggled his browbones mischievously and dropped the overfull bag on a nearby table. "Shall We Begin?"

Kenji grinned as he rifled through the bag. "Absolutely."

  
Papyrus's POV

_Sans is acting really odd..._

Not only had breakfast been pancakes, with a surprising lack of glitter, but Sans had let me sleep an extra half hour.

I narrowed my sockets at him as he hummed softly and went about cleaning the mess from breakfast. "Breakfast was great bro, what's the occasion? Ya usually make breakfast taco's..." _And they're usually piled with glitter..._

Sans whipped around and I'm forced to dodge the scrub brush thrust in my face. "I HAVE BEEN TAKING COOKING LESSONS FROM FRIEND EVE! WHY DID YOU NOT INFORM ME OF THE IN-EDIBILITY OF GLITTER? ARE YOU AWARE THERE IS VERY EDIBLE GLITTER?"

I blinked, so he'd been hanging with Eve? Why hadn't he told me? So she was teaching him how to cook?

_Maybe I should try talking to her again, take her up on her game offer and apologize..._

"SHOULDN'T YOU BE LEAVING TO GET UNDYNE?"

 _Shit, I was gonna be late..._ "Yeah bro, gotta go do that science thing, work and such."

Sans huffed, shooting me an annoyed glance. "KENJI INFORMED ME THAT YOU TEND TO SLEEP AT YOUR STATION! THAT IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS BROTHER!"

I shrugged before tossing him a wave. "See ya later, love ya."

***Sigh***

"LOVE YOU TOO BROTHER."

The void welcomed me as I made my way to Undyne's place, idly flicking a glance to the exit that led to Eve's place.

_Maybe I should call her? I could get her number from Kenji, just to apologize of course. Though, I do have a few questions..._

I grabbed Undyne, earning several death threats from Alphys, before I stepped back into the void with Undyne in tow.

_Would she find it weird if I just started texting her suddenly? Or suspicious? I have been kinda avoiding her lately. Maybe I should-_

Stepping into the lab was like walking into the path of a barfing unicorn.

I stumbled back as the glitter sludge blasted into my skull, sinking into my eye sockets and past my teeth, while I tryed my damnedest not to strike out with an attack. "What the FUCK?!"

I slammed into a desk and used it to steady myself as I tilted my skull down, trying not to gag at the glittery sludge that was leaking from my sockets.

"WHAT THE **_FUCK_** KENJI?"

_Wow, haven't heard Undyne yell like that in a while..._

"I... honestly I have no idea how that happened? Like, I set up the glitter bomb and everything but I don't understand how it turned into sludge..."

_Glitter bomb? Seriously?_

I could vaguely make out Kenji sitting in a chair with a camera in his lap, fiddling with something that looked like a potato gun.

I snapped my jaw shut and pushed past the feeling of the sparkly sludge building up around my tongue and stalked over to Kenji. _Why should we be the only ones covered in glitter?_

"Maybe something leaked into it while I was- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Kenji shrieked as I opened my jaw and all the accumulated sludge plopped onto his head with a wet slap. "OH MY GODS! THAT IS SO NASTY!"

I shrugged and meandered over to the showers, feeling the glitter starting to wedge into my joints and grind against them uncomfortably.

_Glitter bombs, what the hell made him think of that?_

Cleaning the glitter out of my skull was a whole other ordeal, not to mention that the glitter refused to leave. It stuck to my bones to the point that you could string me up and spin me like a disco ball...

It seemed Undyne had scolded Kenji while I was showering because by the time I'd gotten out Kenji was sulking while mopping up the glitter sludge and Undyne was giving him a stern glare as she held onto whatever he'd been working on.

"Really didn't mean for it to be sludge..." He grumbled. "Only wanted to make you guys sparkle..."

Undyne scowled and tossed the invention onto an abandoned workstation. "That wasn't funny." She hissed, flicking off a bit of sludge from her shoulder. "If anything, that was h-horrifying!"

I nodded in agreement and snagged a sucker from Eve's desk. "Dunno about you boss, but glitter sludge don't go in my sockets, though it does tend to sneak inta my tacos..."

Undyne shuddered as she headed for the now free shower. "At l-least glitter doesn't b-burn like chili p-p-peppers."

Kenji winced as he finished scrubbing the floor before quickly stowing the cleaning supplies and sulking at his desk, watching as I stuck the sucker between my teeth. "So uh... should I warn you about the suckers?"

I spat out the sweet to late as I felt magic pooling in my jaw and my manifested tongue flop uselessly.

_WHAT THE FUCK?!_

"Nevermind... do you want a tissue for the drool? And if ya want to blame someone then go for Sans, the lidocaine idea was all his... kinda." He giggled nervously and ran a hand through his hair before tugging at it. "You're not mad... right? Cause I just wanted to pull some harmless pranks. The Family hates it when I do it to them and the Spyce clan is never surprised."

_He's still just a kid..._

_Fuck I can't be mad at him, 's like kickin' a puppy..._

"Naw boss, but be expectin' some retaliation from me an Undyne."

"... Then I shouldn't warn her about-"

A shrill scream is followed by a thud and irate swearing, all from the still running shower in the corner.

Kenji scratched his neck sheepishly. "How hard is it to get purple dye out of scales?"

  
Third person POV

And so started a two-week long prank war, nothing was left untouched, leaving the lab a near disaster zone of silly string, dye, glitter, and _mostly_ harmless boobytraps.

One of which Papyrus had teleported into after Undyne demanded to be let home early and threatened him to take her home or she'd tell Asgore about his misconduct at work.

Not that he was all that worried, but he didn't want to be on the end of the older monsters patented "I'm disappointed in you" look.

He was currently suspended from the ceiling by his ankles and covered in something yellow that seemed to glow faintly as Kenji giggled from behind a desk. "Point for me!"

"And here I thought I wouldn't have to worry about my brother getting distracted from his work because he had mature adults working with him, it seems I was wrong."

Kenji yelped before whirling around and Papyrus used his magic to turn towards the exit door, both finding Eve and Clove standing at the exit door. "Honestly, I don't stop by for two weeks and you destroy the lab, do I need to have Sugar check up on you guys?"

Papyrus expected Kenji to try and weasel his way out of this and make light of the situation, but when he glances at him he sees that Kenji's giving Eve a blank look. "What's going on?"

Papyrus cuts the rope and carefully lowers himself to the floor, unnerved by the neutral tone Kenji had taken on. "Boss?"

Eve flicks a glance his way before shifting from foot to foot. "There was an incident pertaining to the shop and Sage, I thought to inform you that I will be unable to train you or Sans for the foreseeable future. I will contact you when I have finished my business and-"

"I understand." He mumbled, cutting her off and hefting her into a hug. "This is still home, I'll be seein' ya sis."

Eve nodded stiffly before turning to leave with Clove trailing behind her. "Thank you, Kenji, I'll come home..."

Papyrus wavered between asking what the hell just happened and comforting the clearly distraught Kenji, deciding to do the latter as the kid swayed unsteadily on his feet. "Hey there boss, take it easy. Wanna get started on cleaning up this mess? I'll even take ya ta Muffet's after, don't think ya been there before."

Kenji nodded softly with a sniffle. "That sounds nice, thanks."

They worked quickly to get the lab back into order, hardly speaking more than a few words.

Papyrus had to leave for a minute to grab a change of clothes, popping back in and hopping in the shower to scrub off the yellow goo, noting it smelled faintly lemony.

Kenji had changed into a pair of paint-spattered jeans and an oversized turtleneck, and for a moment Papyrus wondered if Kenji liked to copy Eve's fashion choices. "Ya know it's, like, eighty-something degrees out right?"

Kenji huffed. "I don't exactly feel temperature that well? Like, I'm sure I'm gonna feel a bit warm, but it won't be as bad as anyone else."

Papyrus filed that away for later, remembering that Eve had said something similar before.

 _Was It because of their upbringing? Something to do with the way they were made?_ He would have to ask Eve whenever he got the guts to actually talk to her again.

Not that I actually have any of those, heh...

"Alright kid, let's get some grub."

~~~

"Why did you choose to attack my shop?" Eve's voice rang from the rafters as the men before her glared in defiance.

_Did they really think that this was the best course of action?_

"Like we're gonna spill ter a bitch like yer, what? Ya gonna tickle us til we squawk? Do yer worst kid."

Eve stayed impassive and moved onto the man's companion. "Same question, I expect an answer."

"Fuck off."

"Very well." She stripped off her gloves, tucking them into her pocket as she reached for the tray Clove had left her earlier before retreating to the front room. "You seem to be under the impression that I will not harm you, I would like you to know that you are gravely mistaken." She picked up a scalpel, inspecting it in the light before returning to the first man and made a motion to the camera in the corner, signaling for Clove to hoist the man into the air by the chains around his wrists. "Same question, last chance to answer."

He struggled against his bindings before spitting down at Eve, not quite able to hide the terror in his eyes.

"So be it. Are you aware that your feet are particularly receptive to pain? Well, there's no time like the present to learn."

She gripped his flailing foot in an iron grip, bones grinding together under her hand as she trailed the scalpel along the arch of his foot before quickly slicing from heel to toe.

His scream bounced off the walls and echoed back to them as his thrashing grew more desperate. "You brought this unto yourself, now-"

"FUCKING CRAZY BITCH! LET US GO OR-"

"Or what?" She murmured, turning to the companion, face blank as she scrutinized him. "You'll escape? You'll hurt me? Or what? It seems you have not come to grips with your situation." She struck out with the scalpel, opening a gash across the man's face. "You will give me the answers I seek, or you will perish."

"W-wait, you mean-"

She scoffed and studied the blood that dripped off the metal instrument in her hand. "Yes, if you gIve me the answers I seek then you will be released, we may even be able to shelter you."

"LIKE HELL WE'D BETRAY THEM YOU FUCKING PSYCHOTIC BITCH! YOU LET US GO AND THEY'LL FUCKING FIND US!"

She sighed, and for an instant, the men saw true regret flash across her cold eyes as she went back to the tray of tools. "I warned you..."

~~~

It took five showers and two bottles of bourbon before she could stop imagining the way the non-existent blood dripped off her hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the kudos and comments! Y'all keep me motivated and this story going! *waves from hovel* Byyye~
> 
> https://ninabeena97.tumblr.com/ <\--- Come talk ta me at my nsfw tumblr, I get bored~


	34. Questioning everything...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus really needs to learn when NOT to question shit...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK~ a day late...
> 
> But I'm back! And with a lovely new chapter thanks to the help of my awesome beta themonk009~
> 
> Warning: Alcoholism, mention of killing

Third person POV

Bo watched from the rafters, water balloon in hand as she waited for Kenji to re-appear with his reaper-esque friend from wherever the fuck they went too.

 _Maybe they got some supplies from one of the storerooms? Or maybe they needed some of the fancy chemicals tha' they put in the weird glass thingie_ s!

They popped in with takeout bags in their hands, Undyne immediately veering off as she set her bag of food on her station. "Honestly you t-two, can't you go to M-M-Muffet's without getting kicked out?"

_Or maybe they were out gettin' food..._

Bo hefted the balloon thoughtfully, gaze shifting between the two males. While her original intention had been to nail the both of them together, they had moved apart too soon for her to enact that plan.

_Kenji would get pissed that I got the drop on him again, but there's no time like the present ta make a new life-long enemy!_

With that thought in mind, she zeroed in on the skele-man and took aim, keeping Kenji in her peripherals as she let the balloon fly.

Only to watch it freeze midair before zooming straight into the side of Kenji's head.

"YOU FUCKING CALLOW ASS BITCH!"

Kenji whipped around as his magic flared, forcing Bo to dodge as glowing purple vials rained down around her and shattered into nothingness.

"Damn kid, always makin' me feel so welcome." Bo chuckled softly as she dropped from the rafters next to Papyrus soundlessly, startling the poor monster. "Sup skele-man?"

"Did he just attack ya?"

She smiles softly as Kenji slumps to the side, sweating and out of breath. "Yeah. Neat trick by the way, was hopin' ta get a new picture though..." She motions to the camera around her throat. "Guess I'll hafta try another time."

"GET THE FUCK OUT!" Kenji screeches, marching over to Bo while attempting to grab her, only to have her dodge at the last second.

"C'mon Kenny boooy~ I thought we were even! I even let ya use my favorite blender!"

She ducked out of the way of a flying binder before unceremoniously thrusting a bag into Papyruses arms. "No time ta explain! Take tha' ta Eve at her place an' Mama Suga will owe ya, BYE!"

Bo dodged past another barrage of flying office supplies and fled out the exit door, cackling like a madman as Kenji finally slumped against his desk. "Fucking crazy ass woman, don't know why I even-"

"So uh, pretty powerful magic ya got there boss, don' think ya should be firing it around like that though..." Papyrus chuckled nervously as he peered into the bag in his arms. "What am I supposed ta do with this?"

Kenji shrugged as he sheepishly studied the slight destruction he'd caused. "Did she tell ya anything? I kinda chased her off before I asked why she was here, probably gonna get another scolding from Sugar..." He mumbled sadly.

Meanwhile, Undyne peeked out from under her desk, eye twitching at the shredded remnants of her research papers. "Are you SERIOUS?!"

"Looks like it's my break time, see ya boss." Papyrus saluted as he quickly stepped into the void, looking back to see Kenji sending him a look of betrayal as Undyne started ranting.

_Sorry bud, better you than me..._

  
Eve's POV

_Fuck the sun, fuck that ringing noise, fuck that god awful smell-_

**_That's you..._ **

_FUCK YOU!_

I growled into the bed covers, hand blindly searching for the bottle of scotch I'd been nursing for the last hour, when a rush of magic from the living room made me pause in my actions.

_If I stay real quiet maybe he'll leave me alone?_

"C'mon out Eve, got a delivery for ya and even picked up a bottle of honey whiskey ta share."

_He brought more booze..._

_STOP DRINKING!_

_... boooooze_

The promise of liquor got me moving, carefully disentangling myself from my bedsheets and maneuvering my way around empty bottles to the door.

_At least put on some fucking clothes, he's already seen you naked once, he doesn't need another show!_

"Such a fucking nag," I muttered softly as I stumbled over to the dresser and pulled out the first thing my hand landed, which happened to be the orange hoodie that had appeared in my room weeks earlier.

_It's in my house, it's mine..._

**_Is it like the whole, 'I licked it, it's mine' faze Kenji went through?_ **

_Shut up_

I scowled at the sunlight streaming into the living room but noticed the lack of annoying skeleton. "I'm up, where the fuck you at?"

Faint rustling emanated from the kitchen before Papyrus decided to show himself, lugging a giant paper bag in one arm and a bottle of something brown in the other. "You look like shit."

 _Rude!_ "Fuck you too, fuck all of you! Fuck all of this! Just gimme the booze and get out!" I lunge for the bottle, and unsurprisingly, fall flat on my face.

_Daaamn, that has to hurt..._

_Oh how far I've fallen_

**_Not that far shortie!_ **

"Uh, hows the carpet taste? Thought ya needed more fiber in yer diet?" He half-heartedly chuckled at his joke as I unsteadily pushed myself to my feet. "Seriously though, haven' heard from ya in a while an' yeah, thought this might be a good time for another question game."

I gave a soft grunt as I eyed the bottle still in his grip. "Fine, but you better be sharin' that." I plop onto the couch and motion for him to take the other side, ignoring the suspicious look he gave me as I curled my legs into the hoodie. "My turn first. Why the fuck are you here? Pretty sure I said I wasn't up to visits this week."

Papyrus shrugs and handed over the paper bag. "Some crazy chick dropped this off and told me to ring it over to you before boss chased her out. Thought the kid had fire magic?"

I hummed softly as I snatched the bag and start rifling through it, pulling out several oddly shaped suckers and a bottle of Bo's homemade strawberry wine. "We have control of several different kinds. but he doesn't tend to use his magic all that often."

I popped the cork out of the bottle and took a swig, immediately hissing at the burn.

_Ok, that's definitely **not** wine..._

"My turn again? Alright, think I remember something about Sans saying your dad was dating the fire elemental named Grilby? I Thought they were both men, how's it possible for them to have kids?"

Papyrus popped the lid off the whiskey and eyed the suckers abandoned on the cushion next to her. "Would ya be satisfied if I said magic? Cause that's basically the answer for every anatomy question 'bout us..."

_I'm gonna 'magic' him upside the fucking skull if he keeps trying to be a comedian..._

"No, it will not satisfy me."

He shrugged. "Alright, it's gotta a lot to do with our souls, which 'm sure ya know enough about?"

I rolled my eyes and took a smaller sip from the not-wine. "Yup."

"Alright, so when two monsters want to have a kid they put their uh..." He trailed off as his skull flushed orange. "They put their souls together an' their combined magic makes a new soul. That soul will choose the parent with the stronger magic and the monster's body will change to accommodate the new soul until it's ready to be born. We don't really have specific genders like ya humans."

I nodded, _made sense, being made of magic and all..._

"So, what business-"

"Pass."

 _"COME ON!_ "

**_Oh shit, he can be really fucking loud..._ **

I snorted as he glare at me. "Passing is allowed, want a redo?"

"Ya know what? I don't know why I'm here, talkin' to ya is like an ongoing nightmare." He hissed, bones clicking against the neck of his bottle. "Maybe if you would fucking talk-"

"Talk about what?" I hissed back. "Talk about shit you have no business in? How, despite everything, I just want to protect you and your friends? Fuck off if your gonna get fucking butthurt that I don't particularly want to relive some things. So I fucking pass."

I stared him down, refusing to back down as he returned it with his own blank stare, until he seemed to deflate with a soft sigh. "I'm just tryin' ta do the same kid, can ya really blame me for that?"

_Yes_

_Stop being so goddamn petty..._

I shrug, and after a moment of indecision, offer him a sucker. "Here, Bo makes these for me when I'm having a hard time."

He eyes it warily, not exactly trusting it. "Don't know why you're offering it ta me, but it makes me not wanna take it..."

_Whatever, more for me then!_

He cleared his throat, or whatever the hell it was, before looking anywhere else but me. "Kenji said you never made friends before us, that true?"

I flinched, the bottle in my hand letting out a distressed whine as my grip tightened around it. "No."

_Why would he-_

_Tell him, someone needs to know, why not him?_

I sucked in a shaky breath before I set the bottle on the floor. "There... there was a girl, before I was given Kenji to care for. I think she was the closest thing I ever had to a friend." I wrap my arms around my knees and hug them to my chest. "She was from outside, and she used to tell me about what it looked like, she loved flowers, knew the names and meanings for all of 'em."

I could feel him watching me, and for once it didn't bother me, this felt right, like I needed him to know about her. "She took care of me after the experiments and told me stories, she's the reason I love flowers, the reason I wanted to get out so bad."

I quickly wipe my eyes before turning to smile at him. "All I ever wanted to do when I grew up was grow flowers, so I could honor her and her teachings."

The smile drops in an instant as I remember his earlier words. "But instead lets talk about how I'm a murderer? An executioner? I am the sword of the Spyce clan, their enemies are mine, and I eliminate them." I hissed.

I snatch the bottle back up and ignore the intense burn as I chug from it, setting it aside before returning his blank-eyed stare. "You think I want to talk about this shit? Want to talk about how I kill over and over and over again? How, despite everything I've tried to do, I'm exactly what I was made to be?!"

I gave a humorless chuckle as his eye-lights guttered. "Want me to talk about that I cried the first time I saw the sun? Or, better yet, how about if I don't kill for Sugar then she'll make Kenji do it?"

I'm not sure what I'd said this time, but Papyrus was suddenly gone, his seat empty as his bottle clatters to the floor, leaving me alone once more.

_Why am I always alone?_

  
Papyrus's POV

I dropped into the lab and barely missed the corner of a table as I slammed to the floor. There were dual shouts of surprise from separate ends of the lab, but the only thing I could focus on was the way the tears glittered against her skin as she smiled.

About how she seemed happy for once, before I ruined it.

"Papyr-"

I stumbled to my feet as Kenji tried to reach out to me. "I fucked up, how do I apologize to Eve?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys~ and all your comments really make my day!
> 
> Wanna come talk to me? Visit my NSFW tumblr---> https://ninabeena97.tumblr.com/


	35. A/N really freaking sorry...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yo

So...

 

I was supposed to update like two days ago? But things have been really hellish for the past week or so and I'm struggling to do even the basic things for human survival.

 

So I'm really sorry but I don't think I'll be able to update til next tuesday...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience...


	36. Reset?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paps realized he's a douche...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii~
> 
> I'm back and I still feel less than human but I really want to thank everyone who wished me well and who are still sticking with the story, I really do appreciate y'all!
> 
> No warnings~

Kenji's POV

I was pacing as Undyne ripped Papyrus a new one, almost finding amusement in the way he coward into the rolling chair, trying to get as far away from the raging fish monster as possible.

But I couldn't work past the anger an disappointment.

Undyne had finally calmed down and he was grabbing a new shirt from Eve's desk when Papyrus crashed into the lab, radiating panic and regret.

I went to steady him, already calling his name, when his words started to register.

"I fucked up, how do I apologize to Eve?"

I twitched back, mind already running as Undyne steadied him. "W-what's going on P-Papyrus?"

"I-" He faltered as his eyelights flickered over to me. "We've been playin' this question game and..." Now he refused to look at me entirely. "I've been askin' some really nasty questions and I realize that I might be a dick."

_Nasty questions?_

It clicks, the way he acted after he met with Eve the first time, why she kept saying they just talked, she'd been telling him about our past.

_Because she had let him ask..._

"What did she ever do to you?" I murmured, balling my hands at my sides. "She let you in and you disrespect her like that? I bet she didn't ask one invasive thing about you!"

"That's not-"

"Tell me I'm fucking wrong!"

He hung his head and dug his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, knowing that I was right.

_What could he have asked to hurt her?_

"You're an idiot!" Undyne spat, lightly popping Papyrus on the skull.

"W-what?'

"Did you take advantage of her kindness to dig into her past?! I thought you were smarter than this! What would Asgore say?..."

That's about when I'd stopped listening, opting to stay away from the skeleton until I knew for certain I wouldn't try and smack him.

_What was it his records said? 2 HoPe? How had he been able to survive so long?_

_Not that Eve was any better..._

Do I even want to help him out here? On one hand, I want him to grovel at Eve's feet, but on the other, I don't want him to end up accidentally dusted because she got pissed and took a swing.

I checked to make sure they weren't paying attention before slipping out the exit.

  
Papyrus POV

I rubbed the spot Undyne smacked as I tried to disappear into my chair, never having seen this side of her before. I mean sure, she'd scolded us plenty of times for not following practical safety measures or the one time we switched all the pens with invisible ink ones.

_That hadn't been a particularly fun day, but this was far worse._

"...And she wanted to befriend you and you still act like this!? She has made it abundantly clear that she wouldn't hurt any of us and still you keep-"

"Ease up on him Undyne, I think he really gets what he did, and I'm sure he wants to go and apologize as soon as possible, right?"

I flinch as Kenji dropped a bag at my feet, phalanges twitching as I fight the urge to pull out a cigarette. "Y-yeah Boss, really wanna apologize ta her..."

Kenji smiled wide and motioned for me to take the bag. "I packed her favorite blanket and few different drinks for the hellacious hangover she's going to have tomorrow."

I slung the bag over my shoulder and stood, keeping a wary eye on Kenji as I turned to open a portal. "Got it Boss, anything else?"

His smile widened but there was something wrong with it. "Oh yes, just one more teensy thing." He tapped a finger to his cheek. "You fuck up again, _**and I'll rip you apart and use you in my next experiment**_ , okie dokie?"

I give a shaky nod before ripping through the void, not entirely sure who scared me more, Eve or Kenji.

_It should not be this hard to choose which one is scarier..._

Eve was where I left her, except now the bottle that dangled from her hand was completely empty and she had somehow shrunk even further into the stolen hoodie.

"Why're you back?" She mumbled. "Come to see the murder cry again? Haha, jokes on you, I never stopped!" She went to left the bottle to her lips but her grip slipped and the bottle fell to the carpet.

She made a soft sound somewhere between a chuckle and a sob before burying her head in her arms, shoulders shaking under the fabric of the hoodie with near silent sobs.

_Stars I'm a piece of shit..._

I slid the bag off my shoulder and started to rifle through it, first grabbing out an extremely plush blanket, speckled here and there with faint silver stars and golden suns, it was actually pretty cute...

I left the drinks and inched forwards, readying my magic for a quick teleport in case she decided to lash out. "Got somethin' for ya Eve, might make ya feel better."

She didn't budge from her curled up position, so I just lightly tossed the blanket over her shoulders and started wrapping it around her. "Here ya go, gotta make sure yer comfy and-"

"Why are you doing this?"

Her voice was thin and watery, startling me. I flinched before clicking my teeth and tucking the blanket even more securely around her, ignoring her for now. "I realized I..." I clicked my teeth again before slumping to the couch next to her. "I was a fucking dick, to you, to Kenji. I don't know why, but I didn't categorize you as a living being."

She peeked over the edge of her blanket, red-rimmed eyes wary. "To be fair, I don't often feel alive."

_Fuck that **hurt**_

"That doesn't excuse that I treated you like shit! I fucking made you cry!" I stressed, phalanges scraping over my skull unpleasantly.

Something soft ghosted over the side of my skull before disappearing and I barely caught a glimpse of her hand before it disappeared back into the blanket. "Not your fault, pretty easy to treat me like a, heh, monster."

My magic flickered and rose in my throat; was that how I'd been treating her? Like all the other speciest bastards had been treating us?

"Eve I... fuck I'm so sorry."

Her face scrunched up and I noticed a faint scar that ran along her jaw. "Why? You did what anyone else does, not like I'm not used to it."

"Because it isn't right." I growled, throwing my hands up. "I should've given you a chance, shouldn't have pushed you so damn hard, should've fuckin' believed ya when ya said ya weren't gonna hurt us, but no, I treated ya like every other asshole treats us! Like ya weren't even a person..."

Eve shrugged before her face relaxed into a soft smile. "I'm not very good at the whole friendship bullshit, but if you want, we could try again? Almost like a reset if you will."

I flinched and rubbed at my cervical vertebrae. "Sure."

She reached out of the blanket, the end of the sleeve draping over her hand. "Hello, my name is Eve, would you like to play a game?"

 _What?_ "Pfft, did you steal that from a movie? Pretty sure that's from a horror movie." Chuckling, I except her hoodie covered hand. "Sure, s'long as I don't hafta saw off my hand or some shit."

Eve snickered and let her arm dangle out. "Damn, there goes my plans."

I snorted and kicked off my sneakers. "Same game?" She nodded before motioning for me to go first. "Alright, what's ya favorite color?"

"Purple, what do you think about crocs?"

I shrugged and drew my legs up and under myself. "I like to wear 'em with fancy clothes, really gets Sans and Undyne going, hilarious to see. What's your thought's on the universe?"

She lit up and started babbling theories about aliens and black holes, and funnily enough, the meaning of life.

I listened as she ranted, and for a second the guilt returned with a vengeance. She was just like Kenji when you got him talking about robotics, and it tore at me that I hadn't seen this side of her sooner.

My sockets drooped around the time she was explaining the number of different planets that were similar to our own, and I was completely out before she got to the prospect of space travel.

  
Third person POV

Kenji's phone gave a bright tinkling sound as he finished tearing apart the computer, triumphantly holding up the hard-drive.

He shook off the debris and dove for his phone, quickly unlocking it and clicking open the messenger app.

  
**7:38 a.m. Big Buff Blueberry**

**LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!! ;D**

**~attachment sent~**

  
He cautiously opened the attachment, immediately dropping the hard-drive as he gripped the phone and squealed.

Eve and Papyrus were wrapped together in her blanket, her head resting on his shoulder while he rested his skull on her head, a thin line of glowing orange drool disappeared into her hair.

  
**7:40 a.m. Kenjiggly**

**OMFG! HOW?? We're so usin this as blackmail ;3**

  
Sans chuckled softly before tucking his phone back into his pocket, making sure to back-up the several he'd taken of the duo. "I knew they could be friends!"

He quickly cleaned up the empty bottles and slipped out the front door, shooting one last glance at them before slipping through the void and into the lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you everyone who's commented or Kudos, you guys make me want to keep this thing going.
> 
> *Retreats to my hovel with snacks and meds.* Bye guys~
> 
> https://ninabeena97.tumblr.com/ come talk ta me over at ma NSFW tumblr, I don't tend to bite strangers!


	37. Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think we all forget Kenji was there too...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey~
> 
> Not really happy with this chapter but I felt that it needed to happen.
> 
> So yeah, enjoy?

Third person POV

Kenji re-arranged the blanket fort for the third time, finally deciding that yes, the sherpa blankets should be on the bottom with the cotton ones framing the sides and the pillows for walls.

_Good, that's good, so good, yup..._

_Did I get the snacks right?_

He crawled out of the fort and scrambled over to the snack table and scooted the bowls of chips and snacks around until they looked a bit more coordinated, but not like he was trying too hard...

_Does it look like I'm trying too hard?_

He didn't have time to think about it as knocking sounded from the secret entrance startled him, making him trip over his feet and almost flatten the blanket fort. "Come in!"

_Wait! Shit, I never changed from lab clothes..._

Kenji hurriedly tossed his dirty labcoat across the room while rolling down the arms of his sweater, hating the fact that he'd overlooked his appearance like this.

Sans bounced in with a duffel bag over his shoulder and a wide grin as he took in the state of the room. "This Looks GREAT! You Didn't Need To Do All This!"

_O-oh, did I go overboard a bit then?_

Kenji giggled nervously while his hands twitched with the need to do something, anything, where did he put his wires again? Were they still in his lab coat? Damnit... "Uh yeah! I just wanted to have the best movie day is all, not really sure how to do this whole thing..." He waved his hands around the room before just letting them drop back to his side.

Sanses grin softened as He carefully set his bag next to the amazingly crafted fort. "It's Perfect Kenji! What Did You Choose For Movies?"

Kenji instantly perked up as he dove for a stack of cases he'd set off to the side of the snack table, triumphantly shoving the colorful stack into Sans arms. "DISNEY!"

Sans blinked before chuckling softly and settling himself into the fort. "Sounds Good!"

Sans liked Disney well enough, not really something he watched all that often though, but the smile on Kenji face was more than enough to convince him.

He'd really do anything if Kenji kept smiling like that...

Kenji grabbed a remote and pressed a few buttons that had a massive TV sliding up through the floor before quickly hooking up an old beaten DVD player to the TV. "I've had this thing forever! It's one of the presents I got for my first Christmas, man, I wish people appreciated DVDs more..." He trailed off with a shrug before popping in a random disc and grabbing a bag of pretzels to munch on, slipping into the fort beside Sans.

Throughout the movie, Sans had been ever so stealthily scooting closer, up to the point that barely an inch of space separated them.

Kenji had yet to notice the sneaky skeleton, attention riveted on the movie as he mechanically shoved handfuls of pretzels in his mouth, barely chewing them before he shoved more in.

Sans had come to terms with the feeling he'd developed for his friend over the past month or so, what with all the training and their secret hangout sessions where they would plan on how to make their siblings get along better.

He liked Kenji, more than platonically

**_But did Kenji feel the same?_ **

Sans flicked his gaze back to Kenji, carefully studying his face before his eyelights trailed lower, noting that he was wearing another of the sweater he usually saw Eve wearing.

His fashion choices, aside from the constant that was his lab coat, were eerily similar to Eve's, to the point that it seemed that they shared their clothes.

It wouldn't surprise him if they did, but he was curious...

"Why Do You Always Wear A Sweater Or Labcoat?"

Kenji stiffened and shied away, finally taking note of how close Sans had gotten while he'd been distracted. "Oh uh, I wear different things, like, um..." He trailed off and blushed, beyond mortified that Sans had called him out on his fashion choice. "I just really like sweaters?"

Sans nodded before dragging over a tin of chips, grinning when he saw that they were salsa-flavored, before nodding. "You Don't Have To Talk About It If You Don't Want To."

Kenji stared at Sans for a second before giving a firm nod and sitting up. "I uh... can I show you something?"

Sans shifted until he was sitting cross-legged in front of Kenji. "Of Course."

Kenji swallowed and grabbed the hem of his sweater. "Don't uh... don't freak out?"

He yanked the sweater off before Sans could reassure him that he wouldn't, in fact, freak out, but the words died as his eyelights shrank.

Kenji was covered in scars

They weren't as numerous as Eves, but it was clear that he had been injured in much the same way as she had.

Pale lines crisscrossed his chest and stomach while small circular scars dotted his arms. Sans could faintly see other scars that started on the side of Kenji throat and disappeared past his shoulder and down his back.

"I know, they're pretty awful huh?"

Without thought, Sans gently reached forward and tapped Kenji's sternum, the area surprisingly free of scarring. "Like I Said, You Do Not Have To Explain Anything To Me, And I Would Never Judge You For Your Scars."

Kenji took a shaky breath and finally paused the movie. "Can I? Talk about it? I know everyone already knows because of Eve, but they all think that she completely shielded me, and I hate it! I was there too and you all still treat me like a little kid! I'm not! I'm..."

He trailed off and scowled at his hands. "I just want to be seen, I'm not just Kenji Rhyden, boy genius millionaire, or the super happy goofball that's probably on a sugar high. I'm Kenji, that super fucked up kid who just wants to feel fucking normal for once!"

One of his hands had managed to wind itself in his hair, tugging at the ebony strands and leaving behind a faint stinging that wasn't really helping to ground him.

Sans gently removed his hand and held it between his own. "I'm here, I'll listen."

Kenji searched his eyelights before his shoulders slumped and he offered the Skeleton a wry smile. "Guess it all really started when I was born..."

~~~

Hours later and Kenji had passed out, having finally shared some of his burdens with someone else had been something he didn't know he needed or even something he'd thought he'd ever do.

But it left Sans burning with anger...

He knew a little from when Eve had shared her past with them, but nothing to the extent of what Kenji shared, and it hurt that his friend had felt like this the entire time and hadn't said anything.

He wanted to find these people and...

There was nothing he could do now, this had all been years ago, and his tormentors must be long gone by now.

Maybe this is something he should bring to Eve...

He wrapped the blankets around Kenji and settled him in the softest part of the floor before grabbing an extra blanket and pillow, leaving the fort and settling on a couch a bit aways.

He was nothing if not a gentle-skeleton, and that extended to sleeping arrangements.

He would wait until Kenji was 18 before bringing up his attraction to him, asking Eve first if he was allowed to court her younger brother, knowing that it would be impossible to date Kenji if she found him ill-suited for him.

Sans sighed and made a mental list of all the thing he'd need to talk to Eve about during their next cooking lesson, already nervous about what she might say.

**_Nothing to do about it now, might as well get some rest..._ **

His sleep was filled with shadowed halls and someone calling for help, always around another corner, always out of his reach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, it was a meh chapter. I know I didn't actually get into Kenji's past, but those things are gonna be revealed in the future...
> 
> Wanna come say hi? 
> 
> https://ninabeena97.tumblr.com/ <\--- I'm actually a nice person... maybe?


	38. Hoody...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve needs it... and those other things~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M A DAY LATE AND I'M REALLY SORRY and it's short and i feel bad about that, just having a bit of trouble finding time to myself these days...
> 
> Welp! Here ya go!
> 
> NO WARNINGS!

Third person POV

_Whoever the fuck is pounding at my door is going to die_

_That's your heart..._

_Welp, looks like it's my time then_

Eve hisses as her heartbeat picks up a slightly faster tempo, pain flaring through every limb and gathering in her head, leaving her to seriously consider never touching another drop of alcohol.

_Mmm, no, I love my whiskey too much..._

**_You love anything that'll get you trashed_ **

_I also love sushi, so shut it!_

A light bang came from somewhere in the kitchen and Eve immediately tensed, ignoring the throbbing pain radiating throughout her body and silently sneaking up to the kitchen doorway before peeking past it.

Papyrus stood over a plate of eggs that seemed to be tinted a light orange, glaring down at them as he muttered something too quiet for Eve to catch.

He lifted the plate over the sink, about ready to dump the eggs down the disposal when Eve snatched the plate from his hand, startling him.

"Waste not, want not." With that said, she grabbed a fork from a drawer and scarfed the eggs down, nose crinkling at their oddly sweet taste.

**_Does he add honey to everything?_ **

Papyrus looked like he was about to argue, teeth parted and the hand reaching for the plate before he just lets it go with a sigh and turns back to the carton of eggs and still hot pan. "'Mornin', pretty rough night last night."

Eve snorted. "I may have been shit faced but I remember damn well what happened last night. Rough isn't exactly the word I'd use for it."

_His sudden change in behavior is suspicious_

**_*GASP* SHE HAD A BAD THOUGHT ABOUT SOMEONE!_ **

_Shut the fuck up, you're making my head spin..._

Papyrus stared in mild horror as Eve cracked an egg into a glass with a sprinkle of Tabasco sauce and minced garlic before tossing the whole thing back with a sickening gulp.

He gagged and pulled the carton of eggs out of her reach. "Ok, what the fuck?"

She shrugged before reaching past him to rifle through her liquor cabinet, which happened to be completely barren, save for a lone shot bottle of vodka.

_Guess that's the end of that then..._

"What's with the 180? I mean, sure, you've gotten better, but you were still a dick 70 percent of the time."

_Blunt..._

He looked away sheepishly and cracked another egg into the sizzling pan. "I uh... I made you cry and-"

"Phbbbt." Eve waved her hand in dismissal and leveled him with a deadpan stare. "As if you could make me cry, I was crying due to alcohol and old memories, absolutely nothing to do with you."

_Are you ignoring the fact that he actually hurt your feelings?_

_What feelings?_

Papyrus ignored her as he filled a plate with eggs, no longer tinted orange, and grabbed a stack of already buttered toast. "Did'n know ya had a thing for space, Sans does too, he even works at the planetarium out on the edge of the city. Couldn' believe it when they immediately hired him on, kinda a dream job for 'im."

_When was the last time I went there?_ "I bet, haven't been there in awhile, been too busy." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, grimacing at the grimy film it left on her fingers. "I'm going to shower and actually go to work for once since it doesn't seem like I have any booze left in the house, stay or leave, don't really care."

She didn't wait for his answer as she set her dishes in the sink and made a beeline for her bedroom, nearly gagging at the sour stench that wafted from basically every surface.

_Damn it got bad this time.._.

**_Not as bad as the one a few years ago_ **

_Yeah..._

Did she even have any clean clothes?

The answer was no, she hadn't done laundry in a good two weeks and it showed as she nudged a pile of sweaters, afraid that it might start trying to crawl away.

_Alright, new plan!_

Papyrus was still sitting at the table when she stepped into the kitchen. "I need your hoody and shorts."

"...What?"

She sighed and gestured to his hoody. "Your clothes, I need them, not really a hard concept to grasp."

"And uh... why can't ya just wear yer own?"

She rolled her eyes. "Haven't don laundry in a couple weeks, and even if your clothes aren't exactly my type-" he raised a browbone and shot a pointed look at the stolen hoody she was currently wearing. "-they will have to do for now."

He didn't make any move to take off his hoody and instead went back to sipping his stolen bottle of honey. "An' what do ya expect me ta wear?"

She shrugged, and in one swift move had his hoody pulled over his head and hanging off her arm. "Alright, time for your shorts."

His chair clattered to the floor as he teleported out of the room, leaving Eve with his hoody and a mess to clean up. "Great..."

The hoody could be worn as a dress anyways, maybe she had a pair of stockings somewhere?

~~~

Papyrus crashed into Gasters living room as the elder skeleton was just about to leave for work, causing him to sigh fondly and raise a browbone questioningly, finding the orange magic that covered his skull very telling as to why his son was here. "Sooo, you sleep well?"

He chuckled as Papyrus made a strangled noise and covered his face, the orange magic spreading down his mandible and to his vertebrae. "Pops _noooo~_ "

"Pops _yessss~_ " Gaster laughed softly and patted his son's skull as he passed by, idly noting that he wasn't wearing his usual hoody, maybe he'd left it with Eve?

_Ah, young love~_

"Crazy ass bitch fucking stole my hoody, don't want ya getting the wrong ideas old man."

_Oh~?_

"Of course of course, and, pray tell, why did she need your hoody?"

And like that, Gaster had one less skeleton on his living room, it instead held a sleepy fire elemental with skewed glasses hanging off his face. "Whats going on?"

Gaster shook his head and gave his mate a small nuzzle before turning to leave, casually tossing a 'love you' over his shoulder before stepping out.

_It seems that my little bet with the scientist is tipping in my favor, now to get the girl to realize her feelings..._

_How hard could that be?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyones who's stayed so far, really sorry but updates are gonna be kinda spotty until I can get my schedule a bit more free...
> 
> *back to hovel for less sleep than is healthy* Bye~
> 
> Wanna come say hi? ---> https://ninabeena97.tumblr.com/


	39. *EXTRA* Kill your double...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actually don't, that's not very nice, someone should tell Eve to be nicer...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 100 KUDOS~
> 
> I didn't notice and I got so excited and I really love all you guys who comment and Kudos and everything, it makes me so excited to write.
> 
> So here you go my guys~

Third person POV

"What was so important that you had to drag me here at six in the fucking morning?" Eve grumbled tiredly, hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee. "And why the hell are you so damn _chipper_?"

Kenji was frantically banging something with a mallet while Papyrus was zipping from one keyboard to the next, each nearly glowing with the number of energy drinks they'd consumed, or, maybe Papyrus was actually glowing...

Undye had commandeered Eve's beanbag chair and was softly snoring as both Alphys and Sans tried to figure out what the two scientists were doing, or what the machine was, or even did for that matter.

Kenji whacked the machine one more time before bouncing over to Eve and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, eyes gleaming as he looked at the machine. "This is by far the **greatest thing** I've ever made!"

Eve huffed softly. "I think you said the same thing about the foaming showerhead."

Kenji waved a hand dismissively. "Child's play dear sister, this is truly my **greatest thing**!"

Papyrus raised a browbone before popping a sucker past his teeth. "Don't know what it is or what it does, but it looks like it'll do somthin'." He wiped a bit of sweat with the end of his lab coat. "Where'd ya get the schematics for this thing again?"

Kenji snickered before bending down and smushing his face against Eve's. "It came to me in a dream~!"

Everything was quite before Eve let out a long-suffering sigh. "Yeah that happens a lot, the best case scenario is that it makes ice cream."

Alphys snorted and tapped one of the flashing lights. "And the worst?"

Eve shrugged and gestured to a small pile of extinguishers off to the side. "It'll explode, make sure you have one of those, just in case."

Sans quickly distributed the extinguishers as Kenji went back to tinkering with the machine, ducking behind it with a wrench in hand. "Man, you wouldn't believe how hard it was-"

**_*BOOM!!!*_ **

Light exploded from the machine and a shockwave of magic slammed into the occupants of the lab, forcing them back as a high pitched ringing filled the lab.

Eve pushed against the magic and dove for the machine. "KENJI?!"

Alphys had the same idea as she charged after the smaller woman, gritting her teeth as she fought off the panic that tried to cloud her mind. She was CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD! SHE COULD DO THIS! "Where the FUCK you at PUNKS?!"

With a final pulse of magic the light vanished, Alphys and Eve found that their forward momentum increased a little too much, causing Alphys to overshoot the machine.

And Eve to crash into someone's chest.

Their arms wrapped around and lifted her, crushing her to their chest. "Thank the gods you're alright Eve! I'm not entirely sure what went wrong..."

Eve stiffened before slowly looking up and scrutinizing Kenji.

There was something off, the usual mischievous gleam in his eyes was replaced by a more cautious glint that seemed to harden the green from soft summer grass to cutting emerald. The lines of his face were harsher as well, not to mention his choice of clothing seemed a bit... darker.

She jerked away from him and dropped into an open stance. "Who the fuck are you?"

Not-Kenji blinked down at her before his face went blank, he took a step away from Eve. "I could ask you the same thing, seeing as you bare a remarkable resemblance to my own sister." His eyes narrowed as his hands balled into fists.

Eve snarled and brought up her own hands, the leather of her gloves creaking as she dug her fingers into her palms. "Answer the fucking-"

_"EVE!"_

Eve only had a second to brace herself before Kenji, her Kenji, scooped her up and squeezed her to his chest. "OMG I'M SO SORRY I DIDN'T KNOW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!" He put her back down and started scanning her, hands patting her arms and sides. "No injuries? No pain? Can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding up?"

He then proceeded to shove three fingers in her face, earning an amused huff before she bit his pointer finger. Kenji yanked his hand away with a startled yelp before seeming to realize they weren't alone.

And that there were a lot more people in the lab than there had been originally.

The original group, minus Kenji and Eve, who were both still by the machine, had gathered by the exit door and were watching the newcomers warily.

Kenji let go of Eve in favor of standing toe to toe with himself, literally, the not Kenji looked slightly uncomfortable with the sudden close proximity with his double. "Yooooo~"

Not-Kenji stared back at Kenji unblinkingly. "Hello?"

Eve kept an eye on them and quickly looked over the newcomers, lips tilting down and eyes narrowing as she pieced together what she was seeing.

It looked like their group of friends. if they went insane and raided every Hot Topic in existence.

The alphys and undyne of the group stood off to the side, eyeing their more colorful counterparts with sneers as they whispered to each other.

The two briefly met Eves gaze before huddling closer together.

The skeleton brothers gave Eve pause.

Not-Sans looked like a rabid dog, Razor sharp teeth tilted up in an almost feral grin with his left canine replaced with a golden one. He was watching the two Kenji's before flicking his eyelights to Eve, or rather, over Eve's shoulder.

Eve whirled around and came face to face with her own double.

The not-Eve jumped back as Eve glared her down. "And what do you think you're doing?"

Not-Eve giggled nervously and tugged at the hem of her red sweater dress. "Oh uh, NOTHING! I was doing nothing!" she nodded her head and gave Eve a wide smile.

Eve heaved a sigh before turning back to address Kenji. "Congratulations, I'm pretty sure you just proved the Multiverse Theory, now send them back."

Kenji finally broke away from his impromptu staring contest as he sent Eve a pleading look. "What!? Noooo, I wanna get to know our super edgy doubles!" He paused and looked at not-Eve. "Except her, damn sis, don't think I've ever seen you in an actual dress. Well, except for that one time-"

"Keep talking and I'm donating all your legos."

Kenji sighed dramatically before hugging his double. "Just for a little bit? Pleeeaaassseee?"

Eve growled softly and ran a hand through her hair to fluff it out. "Fine, but I'm setting down some rules. No murder, no maiming, no destroying the lab, and no touching my shit."

"what makes yer think we'd listen? damn kid, never thought i'd see yer little sis bossin' ya around." Not-Sans chuckled, winking at the stone-faced Kenji.

Eve scoffed and bared her teeth at the edgier Sans. "You'll fucking listen or I'll fucking dust every single one of you assholes. This is my goddamn universe and I will be damned if you think you can push me around." She turned on her heel and headed for her desk, tossing a dark look over her shoulder. "And I'm the elder sibling you fucktard."

The fell monsters stared in awe as Kenji slung an arm over his double. "Couldn't have said it better sis."

While Kenji dragged not-Kenji over to Eve, the fell monster turned to their softer counterparts. Papyrus eyed his darker double before offering the group a lazy grin. "Ya gonna need some nicknames while yer here, any suggestions?"

Fell Undyne sneered down at Papyrus, easily lifting him by the front of his hoodie as the rest of the monsters tensed. "Why the FUCK do we have to? DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?! I WILL DESTROY-"

Before anyone could blink, Eve had ripped Papyrus from her grip and yanked her down by her armor, face twisted with fury. "Threaten my friends again, and there won't be anything of you to go back, got it?"

Fell Undyne stared her down, mouth twitching into a manic grin. "Heh, ya've got guts. Alright, best behavior from here on out."

Eve nodded and released her grip. "Good. You'll be called Captain."

She turned to Fell Papyrus. "You'll be Edge."

Next was Alphys. "Doctor." She gave Eve a calculating stare, gaze flickering to her double, how quickly had she figured their differences?

Kenji and her double next. "Oak and Ivy."

Ivy pipped up, a sharp smile twisting her lips. "Poisonous or regular?"

Eve shrugged and moved on. "You choose."

She left Sans for last. "Fido."

His smirk widened as he gave her a wink. "woof."

Kenji snickered softly and nudged Eve. "Poisonous plants huh? Nice."

She nodded and went back to talking with the two Kenji's, keeping a careful eye on the Fell monsters as they started spreading out around the lab, noting that Edge hadn't taken his gaze off her since she'd threatened Captain.

_Just focus on getting them home for now..._

Which is far easier said than done.

Fido and Doctor kept tapping on beakers and reading over papers that Kenji had lying around, distracting him as he tried to put everything back where'd they'd found them and stopping them from snooping into some of his more private research.

Ivy had taken to cozying up to Papyrus, cooing at him and twisting his hoody strings around her fingers.

Eve wasn't sure why that bothered her so much...

Captain seemed to be having an arm wrestling match with Alphys, neither really winning but both determined not to be defeated.

And the whole time Kenji and Oak were excitably trading their theories about the machine and other various projects, leaving Eve out of the conversation and with a still staring Edge.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." She growled, moving to push past him so she could take a look at the machine since the boys seemed useless at the moment.

He followed after her, almost crowding her as he leaned down to speak in her ear. "You Are Remarkably Similar To My Own Eve, Though You Have More Fire." He chuckled lowly and brushed a hand over her stomach before letting it sit on her hip. "I-"

He didn't even have time to blink as Eve's fist connected with his jaw, throwing him back with an audible _CRACK_ that made the rest of the room fall silent.

Eve rotated her wrist and glared at him. "Touch me again and I will make your every waking moment worse than any death could ever be, understood?" Se stripped off her gloves and dug through her pockets. "Ruined my fucking gloves too, I really liked those."

Ivy helped edge to his feet and shot Eve an amused smirk. "Damn girl, couldja go any easier on 'im? I think he still has all his teeth." She yanked his face down and inspected him for damage, only finding a blossoming red along his jaw and cheekbones. "Embarrassed? Good, she is me after all."

He spat out a glob of red magic before pushing Ivy away and storming off to a corner of the lab to sulk like an overgrown child.

After that, things settled down; Alphys and Captain talked battle strategies while their fiances talked theories, Fido was talking with Kenji and Oak as they looked over the machine and adjusted it and Ivy was trying to coax Edge from his corner with one of the two-thousand piece puzzles Kenji had tucked away in his desk.

Eve couldn't find Papyrus though.

Not that she cared where he went, she had too much to deal with right now and he was just another variable in this clusterfuck, but she would admit that she would feel a tad bit better with him here.

Where the hell were they all going to sleep?

~~~

Apparently the lab.

Alphys took Undyne home around midnight and Kenji had enlisted Sans help in bringing up more beanbag chair and blankets for everyone.

Papyrus was still MIA and Eve didn't doubt that he probably fell asleep somewhere before heading over to Muffets.

_But he'd never forget about Sans..._

Eve watched from her perch in the rafters as everyone finally settled down to sleep, which was surprisingly quick considering what she'd managed to learn from the darker monsters.

Their underground hadn't been good; murder, death, starvation, a constant struggle for power and control.

Even over there own siblings.

Though it did seem like they were getting better.

Oak was curled around Fido, their breathing soft and shallow, not quite awake but not asleep either.

Doctor and Captain were in a similar position but Captain was snoring like a train.

Kenji was passed out slumped over a desk with Sans leaning against his legs, a little bit of drool escaping his parted teeth.

And Edge was still in his corner with a sleeping Ivy, sockets half-lidded but eyelights extinguished.

They all looked exhausted, and Eve couldn't blame them, she hadn't gotten a good nights sleep in a few weeks and it was really starting to catch up with her, especially with today's turn of events.

She just couldn't will herself to sleep, not with her friend and brother in potential danger, letting them get hurt wasn't worth a few minutes of rest.

A soft noise next to her had her whipping around, arm raised before she caught sight of a familiar orange hoody. "Gods Papyrus, can't you just make a normal fucking entrance for once?"

He shrugged and pushed a paper bags towards her. "Got ya some grub, figured ya wouldn't leave to grab any for yourself."

She looked away and scowled but took the bag anyways. "Had Clove bring up some subs for everyone a couple hours ago, gave mine to Kenji because he dropped his in a trashcan when Hàr Doctor over there decided it'd be a good time to question Kenji on his relationship with Sans."

Papyrus snorted and fished out a grilled cheese and a bottle of dark honey. "What relationship? Those two have been dancing around each other since the birthday party. I also got yours with tomato and basil."

She hummed in thanks as she pulled out her own grilled cheese, still hot and crunchy, with a side of potato wedges. "I will admit that Muffet makes excellent food. Where were you all day?"

He dripped some honey over his sandwich before chomping down on it. "Lookin' over some notes, tryin' ta figure out wha' we did 'ere. They all look alive, anythin' interesting happen?"

Eve shrugged and studied a potato wedge. "Kenji and Oak got along well, as did the others, had to put Edge in his place after he touched me." She tossed the wedge back into the bag and stuffed a bite of grilled cheese in her mouth. "Nuthin' moch."

Edges socket twitched at the mention of his name but that was the only sign he had been listening.

Papyrus choked on his sandwich, beating his ribs and trying to cough as silently as possible. "He WHAT!?"

Eve briefly wondered how he could choke without a throat, or even where the food went. "He started getting fresh with me-"

"FRESH?!?"

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say, and something Eve would never say again, because Papyrus slammed a hand to his teeth to stifle the choked laughter that threatened to wake the others. "Oh, stars, nyeh heh, FRESH?! ARE YOU AN OLD MAID?!"

Yeah, she was never going to say that word again. "Yeah, go fuck yourself string bean."

This didn't help either as Papyrus took one look at Edge and started howling with laughter.

Oak honestly wondered if they were ever going to shut up, but the way Eve actually smiled, surely the first time since they'd arrived in her universe, it was worth it. Sure, he saw his Eve smile all the time, but this Eve seemed like she hardly ever smiled, it made the gesture worth so much more.

He nuzzled the skeleton in his arms and drifted off to the sounds of their friendly banter, hoping they'd find the happiness he and Sans had.

~~~

Getting the machine up and running again was actually pretty easy, getting them to leave was the nightmare.

Doctor, Kenji, and Oak insisted on trading theories and blueprints with each other, something that could take days to get through a third of everything, and demanded to stay for at least a week.

Alphys and Captain were coming up with random challenges to do to prove who was the stronger monster.

Ivy and Sans were trying to get Edge and Papyrus to step within three feet of each other, the best so far had been five, while also insisting that they talk to each other.

A mistake on their part.

"No need to be on _Edge_ there buddy."

Kenji immediately whipped around. "Oh ho, is that a challenge I hear?"

Ivy shoved Eve towards the machine while tugging Oak along by the back of the shirt. "ALRIGHT LETS GO I'M NOT DEALING WITH THIS!"

"You do realize I mainly deal with biology and not necessarily technology right?" Eve huffed, looking back to see Edge looking like he regretted everything as Kenji, Papyrus, and Fido crowded around him, shooting off puns and just being annoying in general. "The most I can do is be like a test dummy to see if it'll actually take you back."

Oak waved a hand dismissively and typed something in. "That won't be necessary, I've recreated the data from the previous experiment, this should open a doorway home for a short time."

The room exploded in white as he pressed the button, a small smile etched on his face as he faced the machine. "Ah, Home sweet hell."

In a second it was over and all the doubles were gone leaving everyone to look at each other questioningly.

And for some reason, Bo.

She had a skeleton clutched to her chest and was trying to inch her way to the exit, freezing as she realized she'd been caught. "'elloooo~"

"Wassup my super radtastic dudes?"

Eve took one look at the technicolor skeleton and immediately felt a headache forming. "I don't know what the funk that is, but... what the funk? Funk?! BO WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

Bo booked it to the exit while cackling. "YOU GOT ONE! THIS ONE'S MINE!"

"Later ma brosephs, and you should watch that wack language yo, totes unrighteous."

Alphys blinked as everyone immediately took off after Bo. "Should we be concerned?"

"YES!"

"Well shit, LET'S GET 'ER THEN!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you guys, y'all are so awesome!
> 
> *disappears into air tent nest thing* Byeee~
> 
> Any questions? Leave em in the comments!


	40. What'cha wearing there?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why is everyone so fixated on Eves clothes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *crawling out of hell and waves."
> 
> Heeey~ It's kinda been forever since I updated this but a few things happened that litterally only happen in Hallmark movies and Fanfiction
> 
> *Met my Bio Dad, cool guy as well as a crier  
> *Met more siblings I didn't know I had  
> *Had to go on a trip to do this and PLANES, I HATE PLANES
> 
> But yeah, besides that and a few other more stressful things I haven't been able to update like I've wanted, and I'm super freaking sorry.
> 
> Enough of me, HERE'S THE CHAPTER!
> 
> No Warnings~

Eve's POV

_I'll need to stop somewhere on the way home to pick up detergent and shit, maybe even grab a few things for the fridge so Sans doesn't completely freak on me when he comes over Sunday._

_**...What day is it anyway?** _

_Fuck if I know_

Papyrus's hoody was actually really comfortable and I was lucky to find a pair of stockings to go with it, tossing on a pair of black converse instead of my usual boots, don't want to look like a complete fashion disaster.

_**Though you still look pretty fucked up!** _

_Thanks, you're always there making me feel better..._

**_I know!_ **

_How about some Nice Cream? You haven't seen Blu in quite some time._

_Actually... yeah! That sounds pretty fucking good!_

I make a detour down to the business district about a mile or so from Kenji's building and spot Blu selling a few Nice Cream to a harried-looking mother and her fussing child. "Have a nice day!"

He spotted me and his smile dropped into a smirk. "Eve, good seeing you again, what's that you're wearing?"

I shrug and hand him a twenty that Papyrus had left in his pocket, _why was he commenting on my clothes?_ "Got any new flavors? Pretty sure I've tried them all."

_It's not leaving it if you stole the hoodie..._

_Shhh_

Blu shrugged and tossed the twenty into the till. "Got a new one called Hotland Lava, kinda a spicy orange creamsicle, hasn't really caught on so I might take it off the menu."

"Sure, gimme that." I frowned at a couple that kept shooting me dirty looks. "So how's it going with Felix?"

Blu's ears perked up as he offered me a smaller smile and the wrapped treat. "It's, uh, it's going great, he really liked the cactus, was a way better choice than the roses."

I tsked softly and flipped off the couple. "Roses are so cliche, going outside the box shows that you really tried to make your gift special."

I accepted the treat and left, pleased to know that he had taken my advice, I'd had more than one customer who hadn't and had come back angry at their advances being declined.

Like the time some dipwad got his girl lilies and killed her cat, fucking idiot.

I smiled at a man carrying his daughter on his shoulders, both beaming as he made car noises and pretended to veer into poles.

_I forgot how peaceful the city could be in the morning..._

"Ah! Good morning Miss Eve!"

_Well, it was peaceful..._

Gaster jogged to my side, grin wide as always as he fell into step with me. "Hello, it has been some time since I've seen you, Sans loves to talk about you and Kenji!"

 _I'm sure he does._ "How are you, Sans said your bookshop has been doing well?"

He waved his hand dismissively as his smile curled into something more devious. "Oh yes, business is great, I see you and Papy have been getting along~"

I shrugged and stripped the wrapper from my treat, reading the hidden message on the inside.

You are tolerable.

_...Ok?_

"Why are you wearing his hoodie? He hardly ever takes them off, oh! Is it a secret?" He waggles his brow at me and lightly taps my shoulder.

_A secret? What?_

_ You are painfully ignorant sometimes... _

"I didn't have any clean clothes so I stole it off him, it's..." I bring the sleeve up to my nose, smelling a mixture of honey, smoke, and something a little spicy. "Alright, maybe clean is not the right word, but it's better than most of my own clothes."

Gaster hums softly and gestures to my treat. "Nice cream? It's hardly past brunch."

"I need the energy that it provides." I licked up the side of it with a delighted hum. "And I enjoy sweets no matter the time of day."

We continued to walk, talking about Sans and his improvement in the culinary arts and how his tacos were now completely edible and not even half bad, something Gaster thought was a miracle.

"It seems I'm not too far from your own shop! I hope we can meet again, maybe even walk together for work? It's lovely having someone to talk to." His smile was wide and sincere, so reminiscent of Sans.

"Maybe, may we meet again."

I left him at his shop and cut through a couple alleys back to my street, eyeing the cameras as they turned to follow my movement, flipping one the bird as I finally reached my shop.

**_Lookin' good, they even put on a new coat of paint_ **

"Well look who finally showed up, bout time Miss Eve, wasn' sure how long I could keep yer flowers alive." Clove took up the doorway, wearing one of my larger, still rather tiny on him, aprons with the pruning shears held in one hand and a dribbling watering can in the other. "Mighta mangled one of yer rosebushes though..."

_...Maybe it would be better if the shop was in shambles?_

I sighed and shoved the rest of the Nice cream in my mouth, waving for him to lead the way.

The damage wasn't that bad, something that would take a little time before it was fixed, but an easy mistake overall. "Alright, not too bad then, how long you been here? Thought Sugar wasn't going to put anyone in the shop for a while?"

He shrugged and handed over the shears. "A bit, I think she out in an order for poppies, er, maybe more roses..."

_Poppies, cameras, probably with mic... shit!_

I hummed softly and ran a hand over the new counter. "Poppies aren't in season, roses always sell though.'

_She put them there without my permission, and definitely with a mic._

He nodded and shuffled a few pots around, huffing when they didn't really sit right. "Was wonderin' if ya wanted me ta help with the shop, been meanin' ta ask fer awhile."

_...huh, no message there_

_He's being sincere you dink..._

"It's fine, been meaning to spend more time here anyway, just been a little distracted lately. Sorry that I've been neglecting-"

"It's ok ta have friends lil' sprout."

My shoulder sagged as I gave him a wry smile. "Is it? I don't really know anymore. What if they get hurt? What if I hurt them? They're monsters and just so fragile, I couldn't even protect Sage..."

He was quiet for a moment before he drew the curtains over the windows and motioned me to follow him to the back room.

He pulled a cushion from the couch and settled into a corner, patting his lap and looking at me expectantly. "Not right now Clove, I gotta open up the shop soon and-"

"Just for a minute, haven' been able ta spend time wit ya lately."

_Give him cuddles, he looks pathetic_

_Tch, whatever..._

I plopped into his lap and curled my knees to my chest, almost hating the sense of safety he gave me as his arms wrapped around my frame. "S'okay to be scared ya know? I was scared of ya when we first met, but I pushed past it, and now I got an amazin' little sister and best cuddlin' buddy."

I snorted and smacked his arm. "Shut it, 'm trying to be cuddly and shit."

He laughed and one hand came up to gently pet my head, making me sigh and melt into him. "Whatever ya say lil' sprout, ya sure ya don't want ta keep talkin'? Don't got anythin' ta get off yer chest?"

"...i'm scared, what if I do hurt them? Kenji loves them and I can't imagine him being alone again, he finally started taking care of himself..."

He nodded and fluffed my hair. "Then protect 'em, ain't much else, be there for 'em and let'em know ya want ta keep them safe, be you."

When had this started? The need to protect them? Sure, watching Kenji laugh and goof off instead of burying himself in his work had been a large part of it, but was that all?

I like Sans, his boundless energy and constant belief in me, that no matter how badly I talk about myself that it isn't true, that I'm so much more than my past.

Undyne with her constant mothering of Kenji and Paps and the way she always got the two to finish their work.

Papyrus...

_He hurts my feeling..._

_Only because you actually care what he says_

_No I don't, he's just a dick!_

_ Mhmmm _

"I guess I can do that..."

He chuckled and softly noogied me before pushing me to stand. "Alrigh' back ta work then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For all of you still readin this, why, like, shit man theres probably better stuff elsewhere lol.
> 
> But thanks, y'all are awesome~
> 
> *slumps into blanket fort* Bye~
> 
> Come visit my Tumblr and say hi, NSFW. 
> 
> https://ninabeena97.tumblr.com/


	41. What?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sugar was supposed to be sweet, so why does she seem so not?
> 
> Also, what the fuck Sans?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy fucking shit, everything is insane and I honostly just want to curl up in a hole and sleep forever.
> 
> But! Here's a chapter after all this time!
> 
> No warning?

_Speak of the Devil and she will appear bearing gifts..._

Eve leaned against the counter with her head held in her hand, watching in mild annoyance as Sugar dragged several bags, two boxes, a full stack of papers and envelopes, and a single bouquet of Forget-Me-Nots behind her in a wagon. "Baby girl, come give Mama some love."

Eve ignored her open arms and nodded to the wagon, catching the slight spark of annoyance in Sugar's eyes. "Mail I assume?"

If Sugar was disappointed with her cold behavior she didn't show it, besdie the split second of annoyance, instead pulling the things from the wagon and piling them along the counter. "Some, a few documents that I need ya ta look through as well as signed. Some packages you've been expecting, and for some reason, a very lovely bouquet."

She set that on the counter last and Eve had to admit that it was a beautiful little bunch, admiring the strange vase it came in, comparing it to what a raindrop looked like. "I'll look over the paperwork tonight. Clove? Can you set the packages in the back room?"

Clove was already hefting the boxes under one arm, lightly patting her head as he passed by. "Thanks."

She turned her attention back to Sugar. "You already had them checked, yes? No surprises?"

She scoffed. "Of course I did baby, wouldn't want anything to spoil your vacation."

 _...wha-SHIT!_ "Is it really that time?! Shit! I gotta get the food around and look for a gift and-"

Sugar moved forward and cradled Eve's face ignoring the way she instinctually flinched away. "Shhh baby, mama's got it all covered. I cleaned the place up and ordered the food. I even secured the entire place."

_Cameras everywhere then, what a fucking bother_

_She just... I don't know ok? That sounds pretty bad..._

**_We could always just fry them?_ **

_Yeah_

"Thank you mama, you always look out for us." Eve mumbled, pulling away and packing the papers into a drawer under the counter, avoiding Sugar's gaze.

_It hurts..._

_I know_

Sugar smiled and turned to leave, pausing a moment. "Just be careful, I heard the weathers supposed ta get rocky, oh, and that's a lovely hoody you have there."

Eve didn't know why, but Sugars words didn't sit well with her.

~~~

"I'm surprised Kenji, actually doing work on a Wednesday."

Kenji blinked up from his desk, piles of papers stacked around him haphazardly as well as several bags from Muffets and a few empty energy drinks. "I have transcended this mortal realm, begone sorceress for I am the Almighty."

...

"He drank five energy drinks before demanding we bring him all the paperwork." Papyrus supplied, tinkering with a ball of wires. "Not ta complain, but yer bro is terrifying."

Undyne nodded in agreement from her corner, barely paying attention as she furiously scribbled across several pieces of paper. "We c-can't stop him, he almost b-bit Papyr-rus."

_You are a horrible influence on that boy_

_I know, so proud_

Eve stepped closer, immediately dodging a stapler as it whizzed towards her, followed by pencil and tacks. "Kenji Harlequin Rhyden, you better not be attacking me."

The office supplies froze before immediately dropping, scattering around Eve as Kenji looked up at her with large eyes. "Nooo?"

"That's what I thought, now stop working, we've gotta talk about next week."

Kenji whined and slammed his head into the desk, body going lax as he slowly melted out of his chair and onto the floor under his desk, the whole time making the same high pitched whine.

'He... he gonna be ok?" Papyrus asked softly, eyelight's skipping over Eve's form to rest on Kenji.

_Why was he turning orange?_

Eve waved Papyrus off and grabbed onto Kenji's hips, yanking him from beneath the table and hefting him over her shoulder. "I'm taking him downstairs, you may leave or join us, I don't really care which."

She left them to choose and carried Kenji home, kicking off her shoes as she stripped Kenji of his own. "Stop being a baby, I know you can walk on your own."

"Wah."

"Idiot," Eve muttered fondly, right before throwing him from the top of the stairs and into a sofa across the room, causing it to skid back a foot before just toppling over entirely.

_Was that really necessary?_

_Yeah_

**_Obviously_ **

Kenji popped up with a mad grin. "AGAIN!" He vaults over the couch and lunges for the stairs to-

Suddenly, skeletons.

Papyrus steps out of the way in time to watch Kenji crash into Sans, sending them both sprawling across the floor, ending up with Sans pinning Kenji down by the hips.

Kenji froze before a sly grin split his face, waggling his brows at the skeleton on him. "If you wanted to wrestle, you'll find I'm more than accoma-"

"Nope."

Eve yanked Sans off Kenji and tossed him to Papyrus before grabbing Kenji by the collar of his lab coat and dragging him to a couch. "Sit down and shut up, we have some shit to discuss." She then pointed to the skeleton brothers. "You two, I don't care what you do. I just figured you'd end up here anyway."

Papyrus shrugged and slumped into a chair, Eve noticed that he had on a new hoody, this one a soft green color. He took one look at Eve before throwing his hood up and pulling the strings tight, mumbling something about a nap.

Eve was almost sure that she saw orange glowing through the green...

Sans took the seat on the floor next to Kenji's legs, leaning against them and waiting for Eve to continue with whatever she'd been saying earlier.

"Alright, it's concerning the trip we take each-"

"I FORGOT! SHIT SHIT SHIT I HAVE SO MUCH PAPERWORK ANDI'LLBERIGHTBACKOHMYGODS!!!"

Eve sighed as Kenji flew by, taking a half-step to the right to avoid being bowled over in his mad dash to get back to the lab and finish whatever the hell he felt he needed to get done.

"Uhhh, What Trip?"

_At least someone wanted to hear what I have to say..._

"We take a trip every year in August for a few days to celebrate his birthday, I was going to say that if he wanted..." She trailed off and cleared her throat, fiddling with the tips of her gloves as she folded her hands behind her back. "Well, that I wanted really, to invite you guys as well."

Silence

_...I guess I should have expected as much_

"OF COURSE WE'LL COME! CAN I INVITE THE OTHERS?! I HAVE TO START THINKING OF PRESENT IDEAS AND-"

"I was actually going to teach you how to make Kenji's favorite food, if you want?"

Eve had never seen Sans's eyelights get that large before.

"I WOULD LOVE THAT! MAKE UP A LIST AND I'LL HAVE PAPY RUN TO THE STORE SO WE CAN START IMMEDIATELY." He hoisted Papyrus onto his shoulder and took off for the exit. "I WILL BE BACK IN A MOMENT!"

She sighed as she went about righting the one couch and picking up a few stray pieces of clothes that Kenji had left lying around, just cause she tended to live in filth doesn't mean he should.

Bo stumbled out of Kenji's room, hair sticking straight up and covered in glittered and very obviously smashed. "Heeeey gummy-boo, how's, how's it goin'?" She giggled and slumped against a chair. "Mighta gave'im the wrong, can-CANDY!"

Her arm slid off the chair and she smashed face-first into the floor, instantly falling asleep where she'd landed.

Pinching the bridge of her nose and honestly considering if maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to live ship Bo across the world without Sugar pitching a fit.

_...Not likely_

_Sigh_

Sans came back to see the top half of a human being dragged into the bathroom, only to have Eve come back out and immediately freeze upon seeing him. "That wasn't what it looked like and I'm pretty sure she's still alive."

Sans nodded before hitching a thumb over his shoulder. "Papy Said To Message Him What You Need."

Eve hummed and motioned for Sans to follow her. "I think the fridge is already stocked, and I hadn't really meant I was going to teach you right this minute, I was more suggesting it for our next cooking session."

Sans chuckled nervously and trailed behind Eve as she went about grabbing everything needed for breakfast tacos. "I Actually Wanted To Talk To You About A Few Things Without Papy Around."

_Oh?_

"I...I Wanted To Ask If You Would Have A Problem With Me Asking Kenji To Be My DateMate?"

Eve froze with her hand hovering over the knife block. _"What?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooh Saaans, not the best time to ask that!
> 
> Who knows what Eve might say ;3
> 
> *curls into balls and rolls away* peace!


	42. NOT A CHAP! I'm sorry...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just an update I wanted to add...

Alrighty...

 

So I suck at this whole adulting bullshit and I didn't realize that being an adult is draining as hell on me mentally and physically, and for some reason I thought it would be a good idea to take a little time off and maybe edit the entirety of my work.

 

And it won't be like plot changing or anything, I just want to re-write some of the wording and add a few little bits and bobs, just minor stuff that have been bothering me for a while now.

 

So by the next time I post a chapter I'll have edited all of this, you can go back and re-read it if you want to, but it's not really necessary.

 

Thank you everyone for your patience and support, I love all y'all

 

-Nina


	43. Shocking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve has issues, a lot of them...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> I am back with a new title and a new chapter! 
> 
> I'm currently uploading the edited chapters as fast as I can, which will take maybe a week to do, but I really wanted to get this out for you guys.
> 
> Thank you for being so patient!
> 
> TW: Severe panic attack

Eve's POV

 

"I...I Wanted To Ask If You Would Have A Problem With Me Asking Kenji To Be My Date Mate?"

_Oh, Oh fuck_

"What?"

_We knew about this, we did, this isn't that much of a surprise-_

My hand drops to the knives unconsciously as I stare him down. "You do know he's only seventeen, not even legally an adult, I hope for your sake you haven't-"

"OF COURSE I KNOW THAT! I MEANT AFTER HIS BIRTHDAY!" He looks mildly horrified as he takes a step away. "I Would Never Date Him Unless He Was Of Age."

**_CALMDOWNCALMDOWNCALMDOWN!_ **

"Eve, Friend, You Are Starting To Spark," he took another step away, "you're frightening me..."

 _He's going to take Kenji away from me, he'll hurt him, i'll be alone again and oh gods I can't be alone again, they can't take him away again, it hurts, oh gods it hurts_ -

"You need to get Kenji, I'll try to stabilize her magic, go!"

_ Nobody is taking Kenji! _

_-why is there so much pain? Why are they taking him? Haven't I been good? I did everything I was told, and they took him-_

"C'mon honey, can't do this to me, gotta calm down and breathe, fucking shit-"

**_I CAN'T GET HER TO CALM DOWN!_ **

_-what are they going to do to me? I can't breathe, I can't breathe, did they put me in the tank?! Not again, please not again!_

"Get in here! I can't keep her under control for much longer!"

_NONONONONONONONON-_

"Eve! Eve, I'm right here, you need to breathe, c'mon Eve, you can do it, breathe with me sis."

_Kenji's here, they brought him back, gotta calm down, gotta be ok, have to check on him, gotta breathe-_

**_Her magic is still arching! She's going to hurt him!_ **

_NO!_

The magic that had been snapping off me wildly immediately surged back to me with an almost unbearable burning as I forced it to obey and calm, writhing under my skin like eels and setting every nerve on fire.

_Can't hurt him, won't hurt him, they can't make me, I'll never hurt him!_

"Shit that's not any better, you gotta let it go, gotta let it out, c'mon, I got the infuser right here, let it go sis."

Something round and cold was pressed into my hands and I immediately poured the surging magic into it, body slumping into Kenji's hold as the magic burned its way out and left everything feeling numb and heavy.

"Ken-?"

His voice sounded strained as he ran a hand through my hair. "Hey there, we're both safe, nobody's hurt, we're at home base and everything is good, so good, why don't you just try to sleep a little? I got you."

_That sounds amazing..._

The infuser rolled out of my hands, body going limp as darkness ate up my consciousness.

_I'm sorry..._

  
Third Person POV

 

Kenji scooped the infuser up in one hand and cradled Eve closer to his chest, frowning down at the ball as Eve's magic slowly condensed into a dark gold sludge in the bottom.

_She's been building that up for a while..._

Kenji sighed as he took in the now smoldering remains of the knife block, nose wrinkling at the smell. "Ok, never melted the knife block before, so I guess that's a point to her."

He shook his head and turned to face Sans and Papyrus. "What the fuck my guys? Like, I don't think you understand the severity of the situation, but some seriously bad shit almost happened, so...?" He trailed off as he eyed the two, the earlier buzz of caffeine dying down and leaving him feeling a little too shaky for comfort.

Sans wrung his hands nervously, teeth parting as he tried to come up with a way to explain the situation without letting Kenji know what they were talking about.

"Was my fault boss, really didn't mean for it ta happen." Papyrus turned to Sans and waved towards the door. "Alph and Dyne are here, why don't you see if ya can help bring up their stuff."

"But Pap-"

"Can you just let me talk to your brother for a moment, Sans?"

Sans wavered on his toes, looking to Papyrus before giving a sharp nod and zooming out of there like the place was burning.

To be fair, it was possible that it would be, in a minute or two...

Kenji waited until he couldn't hear Sans anymore before leveling Papyrus with a disapproving glare. "Don't lie for him, and don't even think you can try to lie to me. You can't keep protecting him like that! What if he does something like that again and we aren't there? He could be hurt or-"

"Don't."

Papyrus's voice had dropped dangerously, but the way he wouldn't meet Kenji's gaze told him that the skeleton knew how serious this was.

" _Killed_ , Papyrus, I'm not gonna sugar coat this shit, whatever he said, or did, threw her into a panic attack so bad that her soul called out to me, I was already leaving the lab by the time Sans made it to me." He sighed and looked down at Eve, running a hand through her hair soothingly when her face scrunched. "She was in so much pain Paps, I haven't felt something like that in years, she was just so afraid."

Papyrus shifted uncomfortably and dug his fingers into his neck, the sound of bone scraping bone filling the tense air. "I suppose yer right, but-"

"So glad you agree with me!" He suddenly slipped Eve into Papyruses arms and took off to his bedroom. "Take care of her or i'll let Clove have you!"

Papyrus spluttered and tried to shift Eve to a chair, only for her to make a wounded whine and cling to his hoody, burying her face against his ribs and melting back into his hold when it seemed like he wasn't going to try to put her down again.

And how could he? She was being too damn cute!

His soul thudded hard against his ribs as he shakily brought a hand to her hair, mimicking the motion he saw Kenji making earlier and smoothing the hair out of her, tension bleeding out of his frame as she smiled in her sleep and pushed into the soft touch.

_She... she wasn't so scary like this, and she looked so young..._

The thought made his soul twist sharply.

_She was only twenty-three, barely an adult and already so done with the world and everyone in it. It was amazing she had made it this far..._

He traced a bony digit down her cheek and jumped as her magic sparked against his, not angrily, more like it was curious as to what he was doing.

He chuckled and pressed a little more, finding the odd crackling almost pleasant against his bones, he wonders if she always did that or was it only when her magic was stirred up.

"Having fun~?"

Papyrus ripped his hand away from Eve's face as his skull flooded with magic, beyond mortified to have been caught doing, well, whatever the hell he was doing.

Why the hell was he so nervous about it anyway?

Kenji snorted as he dumped a huge pile of blankets onto the floor with a shit-eating grin. "Oh don't mind me, just her younger brother, not at all worried about you fondling her face."

"I wasn't-"

"Yeah yeah, just go sit on a couch and keep her sleeping, you're doing ok so far." Kenji shot him a thumbs up and disappeared back into his room.

Papyrus gratefully slumped onto a couch, kicking his legs out and readjusting Eve so she was laying on his chest a little more comfortably, returning to stroking a hand through her hair as his skull tilted back against the couch.

A little nap couldn't hurt, and it wasn't like she was in any shape to hurt him right now...

As his sockets drooped shut the door behind him slammed open. "WHO'S FUCKING READY FOR THIS SLEEPOVER?!"

Nevermind then, let's see where this leads, hopefully not the blazing inferno of shit that he was currently imagining.

Yeah, this was gonna be great...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you guys for being so patient and supportive!
> 
> *rolls self in blankets* Until next time~
> 
> https://ninabeena97.tumblr.com/ Come visit me over at my NSFW tumblr...


	44. Isn't it?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphys, ma girl, chill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I UPDATED! WHOOP!
> 
> Only because life is a fucking rollercoaster of shit, but hey, update!
> 
> I'm working on bonus so that should be up today or tommorow, so thats awesome too!
> 
> Thank you guys for sticking with the story, you guys are the bestest!

Third person POV

  
Eve grumbled and tightened her arms around Papyrus as Alphys launched herself over the couch they were occupying and into the middle of the room, hurriedly followed by both Sans and Undyne, who hastily whispered apologies as she rushed to quiet Alphys. "Eve is s-sleeping, we have to be quiet!"

"Like I care what that _PUNK_ is doing!"

Kenji scoffed and startled everyone as he tossed another armload of blankets onto the growing pile. "You will if you want to fucking stay!" He turned to Papyrus and shot him a thumbs up. "You're doing great!"

Alphys scoffed but lowered her volume while helping Sans sort everything into a large nest on the floor, easily pushing couches, chairs, and tables out of the way. "So what's with the random sleepover thing? Thought your boss hated me."

"Stop talking about me like I can't hear you!" Kenji hissed, dumping yet another armload of pillows. "And I hate very few people, you're not one of them, it's more that I dislike the way you think and voice your thoughts."

He fished a remote out of his pocket and clicked a few buttons before a slot opened in the floor and the TV popped back out, seeing more use in the last two days than it had in the last year. "Oh fantastic! Now to set up the player."

"yaaayyyy..." Eve cheered, still completely asleep, startling a chuckle out of Papyrus as he started running his fingers through her hair to get her to settle back down.

" _Kawaii_!" Undyne squealed, phone in hand as she took a few stealthy pictures of the duo. "I sh-ship it!"

Papyrus's face was once again glowing orange as he stared down at Eve, trying to rationalize how someone who has threatened him with death could be so cute at the same time, or how she seemed so much smaller while asleep.

_Well, not cute, definitely not cute, why would anyone think Eve of all people could be cute, not him!_

**_Denile ain't just a river there buddy..._ **

Kenji snickered and snapped his own picture before rifling through the blankets and coming back up with a worn violet teddy bear, one that had a missing eye and a few sloppy stitches along its body.

"Pffft, that your teddy bear Kenji, the thing's seen better days!" Alphys scoffed, flicking the leg of the teddy bear as Kenji stepped past and made his way to Eve.

Kenji tucked the beaten up little bear under Eve's arm and watched as she released her death grip on Papyrus in favor of curling around the toy. "It's Eve's actually, she's had it longer than I can remember."

They went silent at that, trying to imagine Eve as a child and coming up with nothing before Alphys piped up, eyes narrowed as she scrutinized Eve's sleeping form. "Who gave it to her then?"

Kenji shrugged. "Dunno, definitely wasn't them, so your guess is as good as mine."

Papyrus looked from Eve to the bear, what she'd said last night came to mind.

_"There... there was a girl, before I was given Kenji to care for. I think she was the closest thing I ever had to a friend."_

His hand slipped back down to her face and his thumb stroked her cheek, again feeling her magic curiously sparking against his bones with each swipe.

He wondered if she would ever tell him more about her friend, if he even deserved to know in the first place.

  
Eve's POV

  
_My mattress was moving..._

_Why the fuck is my mattress moving!?_

I rolled off whatever I had been laying on, my landing muffled by blankets, pillows, and a few stuffed animals, looking back to find that my bed had actually been Kenji, who was still out cold and grumbling quietly.

The rest of the room was filled with half-empty bowls, bottles, cups, and trash strewn around the sleeping occupant's that were all cradled in layers of fluffy blankets and pillows.

It honestly looked like they'd partied up a natural disaster in here...

I wiggled out of the blankets and narrowly missed stepping on the Captains tail, something that I felt wouldn't end well.

**_For her at least_ **

_Violence isn't the answer here!_

_...more boo-_

_You're hopeless_

I went about the perimeter of the blankets and gathered up as much trash and dishware as I could, taking multiple trips to the kitchen to throw it all out, before returning to grab another armful.

It was calming, to take care of them and clean, something familiar and domestic, something that I was sorely missing these days.

_Perhaps I should make them waffles for breakfast, teach Sans how to make them so he knows more than just eggs and toast._

**_Mmmm, bacon~_ **

_It does sound nice..._

With that decided, I went around and gathered the ingredients while also making a list of things that needed to be picked up to refill the cabinets, frowning at the bowl of mysterious green mush on the middle shelf.

"What'th hell are you oin' up?"

I snorted and grabbed the bowl out, dumping it in the trash before turning to face the new occupant of the kitchen. "It seems I've been asleep for quite a while, Captain, so it comes as little surprise that I feel well and no longer in need of rest."

It took her a minute to process what I'd said before she snorted and pushed past me to turn on the stove, filling the kettle and setting it on the burner. "Meant why ya sneaking aroun' an' cleaning shit, s'fucking creepy."

_**Oh yeah, and making tea at the asscrack of dawn isn't?** _

I shrugged and continued with my preparations, not caring about the holes she was boring in me with her gaze, mildly hoping she didn't decide to start a fight indoors. "Do you need something, or are you just going to stare like a creep?"

She keeps staring, jaw working and tail sweeping the floor agitatedly. "I still think I shoulda killed ya back then, woulda if the King hadn't ordered me ta stand down, always been a soft sort."

_How blunt, but-_

"That makes you no better than me." I murmured, stopping to return her stare. "I at least have the decency to feel disgusted for my actions, all of which were because I was put in situations of extreme duress, can you say the same?"

The axe at my throat wasn't unexpected, but the guilt that flashed across her eye was. "The fuck do you know? You're just some lowly murderer."

"Who protected her family with everything she had, now tell me, would you say the same thing to a soldier, or yourself for that matter?." I chuckled humorlessly as my depleted magic roiled, eye's flashing and sparking with its color. "I can see right through you, yet I've never once said a thing. Answer me this, murderer to murderer, do you regret it?"

_Eve!_

_It's true though, and I'm also a little curious_

**_Even I think that's a little cold_ **

Alphys dropped the axe to her side, eye wide as she refused to meet my gaze. "It's not the same..."

_Denial_

_Can you really blame her? Monsters weren't made for violence..._

**_How ironic_ **

I wrapped up the ingredients and set them aside for later and took the kettle off the burner before it started whistling, stepping past her so I could go to my room for a few hours before the others woke for the day.

"It's not the same." She muttered again.

_Isn't it though?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys, we're getting to some really important things, so buckled up!


	45. Bonus! Triple the fun!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The differences are just a little to big to ignore...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BONUS TIME!
> 
> This turned out a little darker than I thought it would but It's how I think and actual interaction would go between the two universes.
> 
> Thank you guys for reading!

Third person POV

 

"YOU DID _WHAT?!_ "

Kenji chuckled nervously across the line as Eve tugged on a pair of jeans and one of Papyrus's hoodies, a particularly nice one she'd one in a game of poker, before slipping on her boots and hightailing it out of her house.

"What did I tell you to do? Destroy the machine. What did you do? _ACTIVATE IT AGAIN!_ How do you know that they aren't dangerous? The last Undyne looked like she wanted to eat Papyrus!"

"I know, but it's totally ok! They're from a really peaceful timeline and I have them all kinda quarantined in the lab for now. I just wanted to have a little sleepover with our edgier counterparts, I didn't expect to pull these guys through."

 _"Send them back_."

"BUT SIS!?"

"I'll be there in twenty-"

Eve whirled mid-step and struck out at Papyrus as he appeared next to her, startling the skeleton into another shortcut and making him reappear a few feet away. "Holy shit hun, little on edge there?"

Eve hissed out a breath and lunged for him, snagging his hoody as she hit end on the call. "Get me to the lab, _now._ "

Darkness swallowed them before they were deposited onto the cold tiles of the lab, a little too roughly for Eve's taste as she had to cling to Papyrus while everything stopped swaying harshly. "Fucking hate shortcuts."

Papyrus scoffed but kept a hand around her waist. "Yer the one who wanted to do it, woulda been easier if ya didn't rush me. Why are we even-"

"yo."

Eve yanked herself away from Papyrus as his skull flooded with warmth, whirling on the voice and coming face to face with a skeleton that was definitely not her Sans. "For fuck's sake, I hate you skeletons! Where did Kenji-"

At that moment Kenji ran in, hastily pulling on neon pink sleep sorts over his boxers as his lab coat hung off one arm. "I HAVE LIKE TEN MINUTES TO HIDE YOU BEFORE..." His eyes locked on Eve before he wheeled back around and sprinted for the door. "SCATTER! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! AGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

**_"GET YOUR SCRAWNY ASS BACK HERE SO I CAN KICK IT!"_ **

Papyrus was left alone with the alternates, which only seemed to be a Sans, Kenji, Eve, and himself this time around. "Yo."

His alternate bound up to him, jeez this guy had like 6 inched on him, and clapped his gloved hands excitedly. "WOWIE! ANOTHER ME! WHILE YOU MAY NOT QUITE MATCH MY GREATNESS I AM SURE THAT YOU ARE STILL AMAZING!"

 _Oh geez, it was like looking at his lil bro, in his body, yeah this was never not going to be weird._ "Heh, thanks buddy, boss give ya names yet?"

His not-brother shrugged and hitched a thumb to the exit. "the kid said he was gonna have his sis do it."

"Of fucking course he did, and I name you half-pint and your tall brother over there Tol-boy because you guys look like I need several fucking drinks."

Papyrus arched a brow as Eve trudged back into the lab, face burning crimson and a harsh scowl only barely hiding her embarrassment. "Go get your brother before I kick his ass into the next multiverse, I don't care where you take him but if I have to see him within the next two days I will drink myself into a coma."

There was a horrified gasp from Eve's alternate before she launched herself at Eve, catching her around the middle, her grip stronger than Eve would've thought for her softer looking double and near impossible to escape. "Don't do that! I haven't even gotten to meet you yet! My name is Evelyn!"

Papyrus snorted before waving lazily and stepping into the void, leaving Eve to deal with this mess.

Eve hissed and tried to pry her alternates arms off. "I am aware of your names, seeing that you are me, and my associates. Will you please release me so that I may find a way to send you home?"

Evelyn released Eve and stood to her full height, nearly seven inches taller than Eve, which was really starting to piss her off.

The room went silent as Eve's face went blank and she stared up at herself until Sans burst into laughter, bending over and slapping his knees while Kenji's alternate looked mildly uncomfortable and Papyrus had stars in his sockets with his hands clapped to his skull. "OH MY! YOU ARE QUITE SMALL! IT IS TRULY ADORABLE!"

Papyrus stepped out of the void and hid his own grin as Tol boy, they really needed to find a new name for him, continued to compliment Eve as Evelyn joined in, watching in delight as her face lit up with red and she retreated into the hood of his hoody. "Heh, adorable."

"So you're boning my sister in this universe as well?"

Papyrus inhaled his sucker and whirled around to face the alternate Kenji, coughing out the candy into his hand as his skull flooded with magic. "What?"

Kenji smirked. "Call me-"

Eve cut in at that moment, having disappeared into the rafters somehow while they weren't paying attention. "Hotshot, because hearing you speak makes me want a few shots."

Papyrus sighed and scratched his mandible. "You can't name them all after drinks Eve."

"Shut it Honey mead." She hissed, peeking over a beam and waving a bottle of old honey at him. "Stop leaving your shit everywhere, do you know how annoying it is to get rid of ants?"

Evelyn gagged while sneaking up to Half-pint, playfully jabbing him in the side. "Sounds like you, half-pint."

He snorted and batted her hand away. "yeah yeah, nasty habit an' all that, hear it enough from Paps. how'd ya double even get up there?"

Papyrus snorted. "Like ya don't know."

That earned him a few questioning glances and a suspicious one from half-pint. "we don't bud, why doncha share."

Eve popped her head over the side of a beam. eyes flashing yellow a second before Evelyn yelped, glaring at half-pint. "Dude! Don't shock me like that! So uncool!"

Half-pint took a step back, hands raised. "wasn' me, i don't know-"

Eves' head reappeared with another flash of yellow, magic sparking against half-pints skull and causing him to slam a bony hand to his temple, glare turning on Papyrus. "buddy, pal, don' know what kinda game yer playin', but i don't find it funny."

Eve dropped down beside Papyrus, eye's still sparking yellow as she regarded everyone. "They don't have magic, well the monsters do, but not our alternates."

Evelyn gaped at Eve as her brother scrambled away, both taking refuge behind half-pint as his socket lighted with blue and gold. "what the fuck you got goin on here? didn' think there'd be mages around, ain't any back home."

Papyrus moved to stand in front of Eve. but she cut him off, eye's settling back into there usual sharp green, looking like she hadn't slept in years. "Switched personalities, that means your Uncle still rules the family, he must be an amazing scientist, incredibly caring."

Papyrus stiffened as Eve tipped her head back and let out a humorless  
laugh. "It's like looking at the mirror of Erised, fucking bullshit..."

Tol-boy looked between Eve and Evelyn, obviously seeing something the others weren't. "He... He Was Not Like That Here? If Our Personalities Are Switched, You Would Be More Like Sir Kenji, You Are..." He trailed off as he tried to come up with an appropriate term for how she seemed.

Kenji alternate piped up. "You're like a super fucked up dark carnival fun house mirror, ya know, without the fun."

Evelyn looked aghast at her brother's manners, slapping him upside the head before shaking a finger in his face. "We raised you better than that! Apologize!"

Eve snorted just as Kenji stumbled in, now in proper clothing and his lab coat instead of his pajamas, carrying a small nag as he looked around at all of them. "What did I miss?"

Hot-shot shrugged. "Your sister is shit at giving names and we learned that there are larger disparities in our universes than previously thought."

Kenji stared him down for a moment. "Sooo... you're sayin' you're straight? Cause that would be a huge bummer considering I-"

"Continue and I'm warding your room." Eve deadpanned, left eye flaring purple while the right flared yellow. "And I will make it unpleasant."

She turned back to the alternates and motioned for them to go back to the machine. "You need to leave, and while this has been enlightening, I never want to see any of you again."

Evelyn outed. "We could have a sleepover in our world if you don't want us here-"

 ** _"I'd rather drown myself before stepping into a world that has that bastard still breathing in it._** " Everyone flinched away as yellow magic arched off Eve threateningly, slamming into the floor and walls with loud snaps. **_"Leave."_**

Kenji quickly ushered the alternates back to the machine, apologizing quietly as he keyed in their coordinates. "It's not your fault, she just gets a little protective."

Hot-shot nodded and watched Kenji along with Sans, Papyrus was prodding at the machine, leaving Evelyn looking back at her alternate.

Evelyn made sure she wasn't watched before she slipped away from the group, sidling up to Eve as tried to calm her magic. "I have a question."

"Don't we all." Eve muttered bitterly.

Evelyn shook her head. "I was wondering if you were friends with a girl named Violet? We're best friends and I was wondering if it was flipped here-"

"Get over here Evelyn! The machine's about to start up!" Kenji called, cutting her off.

Evelyn hopped from foot to foot, motioning for Eve to answer.

Eve smiled, small and sad, filled with something that Evelyn couldn't name. "Yes, she is very much still my best friend."

Evelyn beamed and hopped back to the machine, nobody noticing the smile slip from her face, replaced by a pained grimace as she clutched a hand to her chest.

Except for Papyrus, of course.

He settled a hand onto her shoulder, turning her so that Kenji wouldn't see her face. "Ya want ta talk about it?"

It would help, to talk about it, but- "Nah, make sure Kenji sends them back, I've got some work that needs to be finished." She brushed his hand off her shoulder. "Later."

Papyrus watched her leave, only turning away when the door slipped closed and there was nothing left to see before turning just in time to see their alternates disappear in a flash of light...

Only for Bo to pop out, already sprinting for the exit with a black goo covered skeleton hot on her heels, long tentacles reaching for the fleeing woman.

"I'M NEVER EATING CALAMARI AGAIN!" She wailed before slipping out the exit with her pursuer.

Papyrus and Kenji stared wide-eyed at each other before the lab door slammed back open, Eve clutching the back of the skeletons goopy shirt and flinging him at the machine. "I don't want to know, I don't want to know, just send it back and we never speak of this again."

A portal opened above the goopy skeleton before dozens of cyan strings shot out and around the alternate, yanking him into the portal which promptly slammed shut afterward.

Eve shook her head while the two scientists gaped. "Fuck this, fuck all of this, I'm going to the Fun House, find me when shit isn't melting the fan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank for reading guys! Don't let your shit melt the fan!


	46. Vacation- Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve, can't drive, don't let her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *groans* I'm baaaack~
> 
> and mostly ded, but eh, I really wanted to get this chapter out because I'm really excited for the next few.
> 
> Shit about to get gooood

Third Person Pov

 

The week flew by after that, Kenji burying himself in his work with Eve doing the same, both hardly taking any breaks so that they could have everything finished and squared away.

For Kenji, it was mainly signing off on various research projects and finishing up a few of his own, securing the lab and the apartment so that they would be undisturbed for the week they'd be gone.

For Eve, it was running all over the city, visiting the various businesses and holdings of both the Spyce and Rhyden family and settling anything that could cause problems later, while also filing various papers with City Hall.

It also included packing everything needed for the trip, now that she knew for certain how many were going to be there, which led her to her current headache.

"We are not taking 15 bottles of fucking honey. If you want the damn things so much then you can pack them in your own bag." She growled, packing a box of condiments, plastic silverware, and plates into the back of Cloves jeep. "I'm already low on space here. I didn't plan on 6 extra people."

Papyrus snorts and leans against the back of the jeep, eyelights following Clove as he went about securing Eve's house. "Why ya even headin' up now? Got a few days til the whole shebang right?"

With a hiss, she slams the back closed. "I need to secure the house before Kenji gets there, that and set everything up for the few days we're there. I always head down before him, tradition and all that."

Clove tossed Eve the keys, giving her a small smile as she hoisted herself into the driver's seat. "Take it easy on my girl, don' wanna hafta get her repainted, again."

Eve rolled her eyes, hardly surprised when Papyrus appeared in the passenger seat. "That was hardly my fault, who the hell plans for fucking hail."

He crossed his massive arms and smirked. "Me? The weather channel? Told ya the weathe' was gonna be shit."

Papyrus popped a sucker between his teeth and chewed it. "Heh, he got you there hon."

_Traitors, all of them_

"Shut it, leaving now Clove, please inform Sugar of my leave, not that she doesn't already know."

Clove sighed, running a hand over his mouth before shrugging, conceding the fight before it could even begin, not that he would have won... "Be safe, don' go doin' stupid shit."

Eve scoffed and flashed him a challenging grin. "Stupid Shit is my middle name." With that, she peeled out of her driveway, gunning it down the street and watching as the silhouette of Ebbot City faded from her mirror. "Fucking _finally._ "

Papyrus chuckled at her and pulled out a bag of suckers from his pocket. "Sooo, what started this whole thing?"

Eve rolled her eyes, flipping on the turn signal and merging onto the highway flawlessly. "The game again? Fine, but it's actually my turn. Did you know your brother wants to date mine?"

Papyrus tensed up in his seat, fingers twiddling with a wrapper. "That so? Knew he was always hanging with the kid, didn' realize he'd grown so attached..."

Eve stayed silent for a moment before nodding and snagging a sucker from him. "Ok."

Papyrus scratched nervously at his vertebrae, his question from earlier forgotten as a new one took its place. "How, uh, how do ya feel about that? I know yer just comin' around ta us all bein' friends, so this has gotta be..."

He trailed off, not really sure how to finish. Sure, the thought of his brother dating Kenji sent a certain bit of _anxiety_ thrilling through his soul, but with how protective Eve was with Kenji, It must've been ten times worse.

"Nothing I didn't expect." She murmured, the leather of her gloves creaking as her grip on the steering wheel tightened. "I should be glad it's a monster, humans are so unpredictable, so untrustworthy. And I'm sure Kenji reciprocates to a certain degree, even if he has yet to realize it."

Eve sighed, biting through the rest of the sucker before flipping open the middle console and pulling out a pack of cigarettes, tapping one out and placing it between her lips before tugging off one glove so a small spark of yellow magic could leap from her fingers to light the tip, breathing in a burning lungful contentedly. "It's been so long..."

Meanwhile, Papyrus was gaping, jaw hanging loose as he watched her take another puff off the lit cigarette, sighing out a thick cloud that was ripped away by the wind. "Wha- you took my cigarettes! What the hell?!"

Eve smirked. "This is the one and only time I can actually get a smoke break. Any other time I have Sugar and the boys harping on me about my health, not to mention the smell of smoke gets to Kenji." She drew in another smokey breath, exhaling happily. "And you were going to smoke in my shop, around my flowers, I couldn't have that."

He grumbled, eyelights falling to the pack, fingers itching to snag one, if only he could just slowly sneak- "Go ahead, I don't mind, might as well get a few in before the others show up."

He jerked away before chuckling sheepishly, tapping out a cigarette and sticking it between his teeth, pulling out a lighter from his phone and flicking it to life, entire frame relaxing further into the seat with the first inhale. "Damn, missed this more than I thought..."

"I know how you feel, and that was two questions, my turn."

"What was the second one!?" He sputtered.

She grinned and put the cigarette out by crushing it between her fingertips, tossing it into the cupholder with a couple other ends. "Three questions."

"You didn't even answer that one!"

She chuckled and tapped out another cigarette, just letting this one sit between her teeth as she gnawed on the end. "Two then. How did Sans end up " _accidentally"_ stumbling into Happy House?"

She eyed him smugly as his face flushed orange and he cleared his throat. "He, uh, the bartender was cute and he kinda lost track of time, you know him, kinda a one track mind on some things."

Eve smirked, placing that little bit of info away for later. "Hmmm, interesting. What's your present for Kenji?"

He squirmed in his seat as he chuckled sheepishly. "I uh, I made 'im a lil robot buddy, programmed it with a whole buncha commands and functions, can even go up an' down stairs."

That, was actually an amazing gift. "He'll love it, he's always wanted a pet."

"Then why not get one?" He snagged another cigarette. "It's not like he'd be too far from it to take care of it, an I've seen him coo over his computers before, not like he wouldn't be loving."

She flipped on her blinker and cut a sharp right, forcing Papyrus to clutch onto the oh-shit bar or get thrown into the center console. "We agreed that since we can't really take care of ourselves that we shouldn't have a pet, I don't think he could handle it if one died on him, my turn."

He swore under his breath, eyelights flickering out the window to their surroundings, tensing as he noticed that they'd somehow become swallowed by the forest that covered Mt. Ebott. "Not a question, but where the hell we goin'? Thought we'd be headin' out ta the country or some shit."

Eve ignored him and instead let her foot grow heavier on the gas, a predatory grin splitting her face as the trees around them blurred into a horrifying mixture of brown and green, flying past the windows and occasionally smacking into the Jeep itself. "Buckle up, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!"

Papyrus had the split second thought of just teleporting away, while grabbing Eve, before she could wrap them around one of the many trees, before the forest split open and suddenly he was gazing at the ocean, higher up than he'd thought they'd been, and he was frozen.

_It was **incredible**_

"Never seen the other side of the mountain?"

Papyrus shook his head, more than a little distracted by the view. "No, uh, been down ta the beach a few times, uh, just..."

Eve chuckled, slowing down so Papyrus could have a few more moments before she had to turn down another road and back into the forest. "Not many know about the road here, it's a bit of a family secret. Only the Rhyden and Spyce family even know about it and where it leads."

She'd said it so matter-of-factly, like it was just an interesting that he might find interesting, but he couldn't help the tug at his soul at being given knowledge of something so protected, and given to someone like him no less.

He didn't know how to feel about that actually...

"Heh, makin' me feel all special here hon."

Eve snorted and dropped her spent cigarette butt in the cup holder, taking out another and just letting it sit between her lips, not really wanting to smoke it so much as just to feel it there, giving a soft hum in acknowledgment as the beautiful blues, sparkling whites and shining golds were encompassed by the dark emerald and melting chocolate of the forest.

He was still able to catch bits and pieces from between the trees, flashes of startling blue and near blinding white breaking through the rich darkness. "Are we-"

"Yeah we're almost there, hold on a sec, this might be a bit weird."

Before he could ask what, he felt it, similar to how the barrier felt when stood a few feet from it, a strange echoing that filled his soul with hopelessness.

Before he had time to panic, Eve slammed a hand to his rib cage and a wave of her magic crackled over his form, coiling around his bones and erasing the feel of the barrier. "It's ok, everything's fine, you're on the surface, it's just a glamour, not an actual barrier, you're not trapped, you can leave."

Papyrus clutched at her hand, breath unsteady as he tried to focus on her magic, feeling the way it tried to awkwardly comfort him while also feeling the echo of something else, almost like someone else trying to comfort him at the same time. "Wha-"

"We're here." She murmured, parking the jeep in front of what had to be a mansion and yanking her hand away. "Welcome to our home away from home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience and yeah, I know i'm garbage but eh...


End file.
